Sonowal Unveils Major Waterways Initiatives for Nagaland to Boost Connectivity and Tourism

Shri Rio and Shri Sonowal also unveiled plans to enhance the tourism potential of Doyang River Lake through community jetties and the feasibility study of Ro Pax ferries, aiming to boost the state's tourism industry.

The Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, announced significant initiatives to unlock the waterways potential of Nagaland at Stakeholder's Conference held in Dimapur today. Joined by the Chief Minister of Nagaland, Shri Neiphiu Rio, the announcement highlighted the development of Tizu Zunki (National Waterways 101) with collaboration between the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) and the Nagaland Transport Department to study navigation feasibility.

Shri Rio and Shri Sonowal also unveiled plans to enhance the tourism potential of Doyang River Lake through community jetties and the feasibility study of Ro Pax ferries, aiming to boost the state's tourism industry.

The conference, organized by the IWAI—the nodal agency of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPSW), Government of India—featured key attendees, including Deputy Chief Minister Shri Yanthungo Patton, Tourism Minister Shri Temjen Imna Along, Member of Parliament S S Jamir, Member of Parliament Phangnon Konyak, several MLAs, and senior officials from both the Government of India and the Government of Nagaland.

In his address, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal emphasized the economic and sustainable benefits of waterways as a mode of transportation. "Waterways are the most economical, sustainable, and efficient mode of transportation. Our popular PM Narendra Modi ji has always prioritized inland waterways as a viable alternative to develop an efficient and effective transportation mode in the country. Under PM Modi ji's dynamic leadership, our government is working towards leveraging our rich resource pool to elevate India's growth trajectory, aiming to become one of the world's top five economies in less than a decade," he stated.

Sonowal underscored the strategic role of the Northeast as a growth engine for India and called upon stakeholders—such as transporters, EXIM traders, business interests, and vessel owners—to utilize the revamped waterways of the region. He also urged the youth of the region to train in maritime skills at the Maritime Skill Development Centre to avail employment opportunities in the marine sector.

The National Waterway 101 flows from Longmatra in Nagaland towards Avangkhu, where IWAI will conduct a feasibility study. This study will examine fairway development, navigational aids, terminal infrastructure, skill development, and vessel procurement.

The Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPSW), through IWAI, is actively working on multiple projects to enhance the region's waterways, including the prestigious Kaladaan Multimodal Transit Transport Project. This project aims to link multiple National Waterways, such as NW 2 and NW 16, with the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route (IBPR), develop fairways on IBPR, and declare Ports of Call, among other initiatives.

The Tizu River in Nagaland flows into the Chindwin River in Myanmar, which is a tributary of the Irrawaddy River. The Irrawaddy River, Myanmar's largest river, ultimately drains into the Andaman Sea. This geographical link provides an alternative opportunity to use waterways for cargo movement from the Northeast to international trade routes, enhancing regional and international connectivity.

Shri Rio and Shri Sonowal's initiatives represent a commitment to harnessing Nagaland's waterways for economic development and regional cooperation, positioning the state as a key player in India's growth and sustainability agenda.