Tripura is set to witness significant improvements in connectivity and tourism as the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) moves forward with two major initiatives development of the Gomati River waterway and the introduction of a cruise service on Dumbur Lake in Dhalai district.
Union Minister for Ports, Shipping & Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal reviewed ongoing inland water transport projects across the Northeast during a high-level meeting with ministry and IWAI officials.
The review covered projects in Assam, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland, Meghalaya and Tripura, including schemes under the Central Sector Scheme (CSS).
Highlighting progress in Tripura, Sonowal said IWAI is implementing a ₹24.53-crore project to upgrade the Gumti River and create a navigational link with Bangladesh’s Meghna river system. The initiative involves developing a navigational channel, constructing bank protection structures, installing navigational aids, and setting up nine floating pontoon terminals to facilitate movement.
He added that a feasibility study is underway to introduce a cruise ship service on Dumbur Lake, aimed at elevating tourism potential and promoting leisure-based water travel in the state.
Sonowal said the ongoing projects in the northeastern states reflect the Centre’s commitment to modernising inland water transport infrastructure. “By improving river connectivity, tourism avenues and trade routes, we are opening new economic opportunities and better integrating the region with national and international markets. Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, the Northeast is witnessing a new era of connectivity and economic revival driven by river-based development,” he said.
The minister reiterated the government’s plan to invest more than ₹5,000 crore in strengthening inland waterways in the Northeast in the coming years, noting that improved cargo movement, enhanced river tourism and expanded cross-border trade will turn waterways into a “lifeline of opportunity” for the region.
