Guwahati: Guwahati is expected to have India’s first contemporary river ferry terminal by December 2024 with the Inland Water Transport (IWT) division’s expedited development of the Guwahati Gateway Ghat Terminal.
The World Bank is funding the construction of the river ferry port on the Brahmaputra at Fancy Bazar, which is located across from the multi-level parking facility.
Once finished, the terminal will provide all-year round passenger safety in the capital city and close by ghats. The IWT has been having trouble running the ferries during the monsoon, when the Brahmaputra’s water level increases significantly. The Rs 304 crore projects are expected to solve this problem.
IWT (Assam) director Partha Pegu said, “The terminal will be furnished with all contemporary amenities. It would not only provide passengers with a safe means of transportation, but it will also do away with the need to move ferries to ghats or other safe locations during the monsoon. When the water level rises, we often move the ferries to safer ghats,” as reported by TOI.
Pegu said the terminal will contain a cafe, a canteen, ramps, a vehicle parking area, etc. to provide travellers with a comfortable experience similar to that which is offered 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, a cheap means of transportation.
The terminal will initially be used only for passenger ferries, but later it will also be used for cruises. Four large ferries can be stationed at the, Pegu said.
Chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma laid the cornerstone for the ferry terminal’s construction in May. The project is being implemented by L&T GeoStructure, a Chennai-based construction engineering company.