Centre Bets Big on Brahmaputra as Economic Lifeline: Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal

📌 Summary:

• The Union government is scaling up efforts to transform the Brahmaputra into a multi-functional economic corridor, combining transport, trade, tourism and river management; this was reviewed at the High Powered Review Board (HPRB) meeting of the Brahmaputra Board in Guwahati.

• The Brahmaputra is National Waterway 2 (NW2); through the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route (IBPR) it links Assam and the rest of the Northeast to the Kolkata and Haldia ports.

• In Assam, projects worth about Rs 751 crore are complete, including terminals at Pandu, Dhubri and Jogighopa; ongoing works exceed Rs 1,100 crore; and a future pipeline of nearly Rs 4,800 crore is planned across the Northeast over five years, covering community jetties, cargo vessels, dredgers and cruise terminals.

• Cargo movement on national waterways rose from 18 million metric tonnes in 2014 to over 218 million metric tonnes in 2025-26.

• The Brahmaputra Board is being repositioned as a knowledge-based, technology-driven River Basin Organisation, using GIS, LiDAR and hydrological modelling; a State Water Reforms Framework (SWRF) is being launched to strengthen water governance.

• Inland waterways are positioned as a cost-effective, low-emission alternative to road and rail and as a strategic lever for the Act East Policy; integrated river basin management is needed given heavy sediment load, shifting channels and recurring floods.

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS3 — Infrastructure; inland water transport, logistics, Northeast development, and links to the Act East Policy.

📝 Prelims Facts:

• The Brahmaputra is designated National Waterway 2 (NW2).

• The Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route connects the Northeast to the Kolkata and Haldia ports.

• The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) develops national waterways.

• Cargo on national waterways grew from 18 million tonnes (2014) to over 218 million tonnes (2025-26).

🔑 Key Term: River Basin Organisation — an institution that manages the water resources of an entire river basin in an integrated, scientific manner, spanning flood control, navigation and sustainable use.