The Assam Inland Waterways Company Ltd (AIWCL), a state government enterprise, has signed an agreement with a private company to establish a shipyard at Dharapur on the outskirts of Guwahati, according to an official statement.
The pact marks a significant addition to Assam’s inland water transport infrastructure, placing a dedicated vessel-building and repair facility close to the state’s principal river port city.
Boost for Inland Waterways
A shipyard near Guwahati would strengthen the state’s capacity to build, maintain and repair vessels that ply the Brahmaputra and its tributaries. Inland water transport has been gaining importance in Assam as an economical mode of moving cargo and passengers, and local shipbuilding capacity reduces dependence on facilities located far from the region’s waterways.
Strategic Location at Dharapur
Dharapur, on the outskirts of Guwahati, sits close to the Brahmaputra, making it a natural site for a shipyard serving the river system. The Brahmaputra is designated as National Waterway-2, one of the country’s most important inland water routes, and Guwahati is its key hub in the Northeast. A shipyard in the vicinity is expected to serve both government and private vessel operators working along the waterway.
What Comes Next
The official statement did not disclose the identity of the private partner or the timelines for construction and commissioning of the facility. Further details on investment, capacity and employment generation are awaited, and the project will be watched as a marker of how quickly Assam’s waterways infrastructure scales up in the coming years.
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