In a landmark move for India’s inland waterways, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways Sarbānand Sonowal laid the foundation stone for four river lighthouses along the Brahmaputra River on Thursday. This pioneering initiative at Lachit Ghat in Guwahati marks the first such structures on the nation’s inland waterways, poised to significantly enhance navigational safety and efficiency.
The event, organized jointly by the Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships (DGLL) and the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), underscores the government’s commitment to transforming rivers into robust economic arteries. The four lighthouses—strategically positioned at Bogibeel in Dibrugarh district, Pandu in Kamrup (Metro) district, Silghat in Nagaon district (all on the southern bank), and Bishwanath Ghat in Bishwanath district (on the northern bank)—will dot critical points along National Waterway-2 (NW-2), the Brahmaputra corridor.
With a total project cost of approximately ₹84 crore, each 20-meter-tall lighthouse will boast a geographic range of 14 nautical miles and a luminous range of 8-10 nautical miles. Powered entirely by solar energy, these structures will ensure 24/7 operations, equipped with weather observation sensors to support safe navigation amid rising cargo and passenger traffic.
Beyond functionality, the sites will feature museums, amphitheaters, cafeterias, children’s play areas, souvenir shops, and landscaped public spaces, evolving the lighthouses into vibrant tourist hubs. This aligns with the surge in cargo movement on NW-2, which saw a 53% increase in FY 2024-25, fueled by Assam’s tea, coal, and fertilizer industries, alongside growing passenger and tourism services.
Minister Sonowal emphasized, ‘Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visionary leadership, inland waterways are not just alternatives to road and rail but potent multipliers for our economy. Transporting one ton of cargo by water costs far less than by road, emits negligible carbon, and frees highways for passengers and time-sensitive goods. These Brahmaputra lighthouses exemplify how India’s rivers are now open for business around the clock.’
The ceremony drew Assam ministers including Tourism’s Ranjit Kumar Das, Transport’s Charan Bora, and Public Health Engineering’s Jayanta Mallabarua, alongside Guwahati MP Bijuli Kalita Medhi and East Guwahati MLA Siddharth Bhattacharya. Senior officials like MoPSW Secretary Vijay Kumar and DGLL Director General N. Muruganandam also attended, highlighting the collaborative push for waterway development.