Overhauling river transport in Assam

The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) Board’s approval of a comprehensive plan to develop National Waterway (NW)-2 (River Brahmaputra) is good news. Modernising the ferry services in Assam and improving passenger amenities, along with increased use of the waterway for transportation of goods, are essential to transform the inland water transport (IWT) ecosystem in the state. The approved plan has set the target of developing NW-2 over the next three years by undertaking measures to ensure navigable depth for safe and smooth passage of ferries, developing terminal infrastructure, navigation aids, green energy initiatives, maintenance and repair of vessels, among others. A huge sediment load carried by the Brahmaputra makes the river shallow, reducing the water depth in the channels and obstructing ferry movement. The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways earmarking over Rs 1500 crore for enhancing cruise tourism and cargo handling capacities across NW 2 and NW 16 (Barak River) will unlock the tourism potential of IWT in the state. The projects to be undertaken with this earmarked fund and to be completed by 2027-28 include construction of modern jetties equipped with onshore facilities at Silghat, Bishwanath Ghat, Neamati Ghat, and Guijan. Construction of modern jetties is crucial to attract tourism entrepreneurs to develop innovative river tourism products connecting important tourism destinations through river cruise tourism. Development of river tourism will also go a long way in reducing the pressure on nature-loving tourists at iconic sites like Kaziranga and Manas. Increasing pressure of tourists beyond the carrying capacity of these iconic sites will pose long-term sustainability issues. Efforts to regulate the tourist flow at ecologically sustainable loads will be successful only when tourists are offered equally exciting tourism products. A cruise along the Brahmaputra provides a unique experience of observing beautiful natural and cultural landscapes simultaneously. Besides, unique morphology makes the transboundary river a natural wonder, which creates a curiosity among people across the globe to experience a journey along its course. The existing passenger amenities at the ferry terminals of the state are grossly inadequate and are in poor state. Passengers having dedicated adequate sitting facilities in the waiting area, clean toilet facilities, a child-friendly space, the provision of safe drinking water, and hygienic food at the ferry terminals is critical to motivate more people to use the river transport in the state. The sight of two-wheelers carried on the roofs of small ferries using wooden planks for embarking and disembarking during trips from Neamatighat to Majuli is reflective of old and safe practices being in vogue for ferrying passengers and vehicles. IWT is the most environmentally friendly, comfortable and cheap mode of transportation compared to road transport and railways. Lower operating costs coupled with low fuel costs provide it the edge over the other two modes of mass transport of passengers as well as goods. Many countries have leveraged these advantages to promote river transport in a big way through the modernisation of ferry services and terminal facilities and passenger amenities, as it is environment-friendly. The development of IWT in NW2 needs to equally focus on navigational aspects and terminal facilities so that it can become a preferred mode of transport among wider sections of people. Development of river transport in the entire state requires improvement in all the 361 ferry routes, most of which are across the Brahmaputra. Modernisation of the ferries and boats requires gradual replacement of the old fleet with new and modern vessels which are equipped with navigational aids and reliable engines. Retrofitted vessels can fulfil the requirement to some extent, but the ultimate goal should be to replace the entire fleet of outdated vessels with a modern fleet which provides a comfortable ride apart from ensuring the safety of passengers. Erosion of the riverbank poses huge challenges to the stability of ferry terminals, and therefore, anti-erosion measures at the terminals need to be prioritised for long-term sustainability. The construction of several bridges over the Brahmaputra and its tributaries and the expansion of the railway network have influenced commuters to look at road and railway transport as more convenient transport modes. This makes the challenge to mainstream IWT as a preferred mode of transport tougher than it appears. Nevertheless, the fact that a large number of people living on both the banks of the Brahmaputra and sandbars are still dependent on IWT for mass transportation of passengers and goods, modernisation of ferry services for passenger and cargo transport and tourism growth is a pragmatic approach. The importance of IWT has increased in the backdrop of climate change goals to cut down carbon emissions. Reduced cost of transportation of goods and passengers brings economic advantage. Timely completion of the projects which are aimed at improving ferry services and terminal infrastructure will be crucial for undertaking the subsequent phases of modernisations of more terminals and ferry services in the state. A modern and improved IWT system will attract the big players to promote river tourism in Assam.