The Inland Water Transport (IWT) department has accelerated the development of the Guwahati Gateway Ghat Terminal, which is expected to be India’s first contemporary river ferry terminal by December 2024.
World Bank financed the construction of the river ferry terminal on the Brahmaputra at Fancy Bazar, which is located across from the multi-level parking facility.
As soon as it is finished, the terminal will guarantee the year-round safety of people travelling through the capital city and adjacent ghats. The IWT’s problems running the ferries during the monsoon, when the Brahmaputra’s water level increases drastically, are expected to come to an end thanks to the Rs 304 crore project.
Partha Pegu, the IWT (Assam) director, said, “The terminal will be equipped with all modern facilities. It will not only be a safe mode of transport for passengers, but will also eliminate the need to shift the ferries to safer places/ghats during monsoon. We usually shift the ferries to safer ghats when the water level rises.”
Pegu stated that the terminal will have a cafe, a canteen, ramps, a vehicle parking lot, etc. to give the passengers a pleasant experience similar to what people enjoy in nations like Singapore.
He added that the ferry terminal on the Brahmaputra is a step in the right direction because the Center is emphasising bettering the connection of waterways.
Himanta Biswa Sarma, the chief minister, lay the cornerstone for the ferry terminal’s construction in May. Construction engineering firm L&T GeoStructure, based in Chennai, is carrying out the project.
