A Rs 3,000 crore project Is likely to undertake by the Central Government to further improve Assam’s water transportation in the Brahmaputra and Barak rivers to raise trade in the entire northeastern region and the neighboring states, officials said on Thursday.

A discussion held virtually between the Union Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Mansukh L Mandaviya and Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Thursday to further improve water transports using the Brahmaputra and Barak rivers, An official of the Assam government said.

“During the discussion, the Union Minister shared added a detailed framework of a nearly Rs 3,000 crore project for improving navigability, transportation, trade and commerce of the rivers Brahmaputra and Barak, the national waterways two and 16,” an official release said.

The reveal added that the move would upgrade institutional capacity and the existing substructure of water transportation in the Brahmaputra and Barak rivers to achieve scalable height in trade and commerce. In the meeting, Sonowal repeated the need to reinforce the existing transport facilities and utilizing the optimum perspective of the Brahmaputra and Barak rivers as the two rivers have served as the lifeline of trade and commerce as well as connectivity since the British period and provided connectivity with neighboring countries.

“True to the spirit of the Central government for the development of Assam and other northeastern states under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the multi-crore project would encompass all critical areas like development of multimodal logistic hubs with last-mile connectivity, passenger and cargo terminals, and construction of new jetties, among others,” Mandaviya said

Sonowal while assuring total cooperation from the Assam government, said once fully implemented, the entire 891-km stretch of the Brahmaputra from Sadiya to Dhubri, and Barak would collect new contract of life in providing entry to neighboring countries which would also catapult to the success of the ‘Act-East Policy’.