Team Blitz India
NEW DELHI: Shipping and Waterways Minister, Sarbananda Sonowal, has unveiled a Rs 45,000 crore investment plan for the development of inland waterways and river cruise tourism. He was speaking at the inaugural Inland Waterways Development Council meeting in Kolkata. This meeting was attended by key stakeholders including ministerial representations from states as well as prominent stakeholders including policy makers and the industry leaders.
During the summit, Sonowal launched the Harit Nauka guidelines alongside the River Cruise Tourism Roadmap, 2047. “The vision of our Prime Minister is to harness the potential of the blue waters.
“The investment includes Rs 35,000 crore for cruise vessels and Rs 10,000 crore for terminal infrastructure development, aiming for a significant increase in cruise tourism traffic with overnight stays,” he added.
Sonawal also said that the Government plans to boost cargo trade via inland waterways with an investment of Rs 15,200 crore, targeting a growth rate of more than 400% and increasing the volume to 500 million tonnes per annum by 2047.
