Waterways to connect 7 religious sites around Guwahati

In Guwahati, the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), Sagarmala Development Company Limited (SDCL), Assam Tourism Development Corporation Limited (ATDC), and Directorate of Inland Water Transport (DIWT) Assam will sign an MoU for the “Riverine based tourism Circuit” that is being developed over the river Brahmaputra to connect seven religious sites.

The Assam government and the Department of Inland Waterways Transport (DIWT) signed an MoU here on May 19 to connect seven religious sites around the city through waterways, officials said.

The project will facilitate 'hop on hop off' ferry service, which will connect the seven historic and religious sites of Kamakhya, Pandunath, Aswaklanta, Doul Govinda, Umananda, Chakreshwar and Auniati Satra around Guwahati, an official release said.

The project is being developed under Sagarmala Programme.

The agreement for development of riverine-based religious tourism circuit on Brahmaputra river was inked by Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), Sagarmala Development Corporation Limited (SDCL), Assam Tourism Development Corporation (ATDC) and the department of inland waterways transport (DIWT), Government of Assam, it said.

Speaking on the occasion, Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal iterated the Centre's resolve to develop the inland waterways potential of Assam and the entire North East for accelerated growth of the region.

“The development of the riverine-based tourism circuit is a huge shot in the arm for the tourism sector in Assam. I am happy that with the support of government of Assam, IWAI and SDCL will work in tandem with ATDC and IWT to execute this project swiftly and unveil a new chapter of riverine tourism sector in Assam," he said.

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