HT Correspondent
DIBRUGARH, June 14: In a long-awaited development, survey work for the dredging of the Brahmaputra River finally commenced on Saturday at Bogibeel, marking the first physical step forward in a project that was initially announced over seven years ago.
A technical team from the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) began survey operations along a specific 300-metre stretch of the river that has been identified as a critical zone for immediate dredging. The area has increasingly posed challenges for smooth navigation, affecting ferry, cargo, and cruise operations in the region.
According to official sources, actual dredging work is expected to begin shortly after the completion of the ongoing survey. The project, though currently limited in scope, is being viewed as a significant step toward reviving the long-pending initiative to make the Brahmaputra a navigable and sustainable inland waterway.
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It may be recalled that the preliminary survey for dredging the Brahmaputra was formally inaugurated on January 24, 2017, in Dibrugarh by then Assam Chief Minister and current Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal. The broader vision was to improve navigability, promote inland water transport, boost river tourism, and enhance connectivity across Assam and the Northeast region, while integrating with the national waterway network.
Despite the initial enthusiasm and policy-level announcements, no substantial physical work had taken place on the ground until now. The lack of visible progress over the years had led to growing concerns among stakeholders, especially river transport operators and local communities dependent on river-based connectivity.
However, with the current survey and impending dredging work, expectations have been rekindled. While modest in scale, the initiative has raised hopes for a more concerted and sustained effort to implement the larger vision of transforming the Brahmaputra into a viable inland water transport corridor.
Local operators and residents have welcomed the move, seeing it as a positive beginning after years of delay. The successful execution of the pilot dredging at Bogibeel could potentially pave the way for broader dredging efforts along other stretches of the river in the future.
