Aizwal: An inland transport waterway would be developed on Khawthlangtuipui river in south Mizoram’s Lunglei district to connect Tuichawng in Lawngtlai district on the Indo-Bangladesh border, an official said on Wednesday.
The 23-km project will cost Rs. 22.93 crores, he said.
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He said that three other inland waterway transport projects are also in the pipeline.
Union Minister of Ports Shipping (PSW) & Waterways and AYUSH, Sarbananda Sonowal, who is on a two-day visit to the northeastern state, on Wednesday reviewed the ongoing projects in Mizoram with top officials of the state.
The meeting was attended by state transport minister TJ Lalnuntluanga and state chief secretary Renu Sharma.
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It was mentioned in the meeting that an inland water transport will be developed on the Khawthlangtuipui (Karnaphuli) – Tuichawng river at a stretch of 23 km to cater to the needs of southern districts, the official said.
The Centre has already approved the Detailed Project Report (DPR) of the proposed Rs 22.93 crore project and has sanctioned Rs 6.17 crore as the first installment, he said.
Sonowal told the meeting that the NDA government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is giving top priority to the development of the northeastern region.
He said that the vision of the Prime Minister is to energize the Northeast region as the new engine of growth in India.
“To achieve this, we must optimally utilize our rivers as means of an economic, swift and ecologically sound means of transport. The economic potential of Mizoram, as well as that of the Northeast, can be unlocked by developing our waterways and strengthening our logistical access to the world market,” he said.
The Union minister said that the Centre is making efforts to have better coordination with Mizoram to develop inland waterways transports in the state.
He said that the ongoing inland waterway projects in the state would be expedited and become operational very soon,
Sonowal also highlighted the importance that Mizoram plays in developing a robust inland waterway system in Northeast India.
During the meeting, he was appraised about the hydrographical survey and techno-economic feasibility study conducted on river Tlawng at Khamrang village in Mizoram to connect Gharmura in Assam.
A Detailed Project Report of the proposed 87.136 km inland waterways has been already submitted to the Centre.
The Union Minister was also informed that a proposal for developing a 128 km stretch of waterway transport between Rajivnagar village and Tuichawng on the Khawthlangtuipui river has been already submitted and the final proposal for inland waterway between Tuipui D and Lomasu village in the southern part of the state is yet to be submitted.
The meeting also reviewed the ongoing cross-border project under the ambitious Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project (KMMTTP) to link Mizoram’s southernmost Lawngtlai district with Paletwa Myanmar seaport in Myanmar.
Later in the evening, Sonowal also called on chief minister Zoramthanga at the latter’s bungalow and both leaders discussed a wide range of development issues in the state.