In a landmark move for inland waterway navigation, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal laid the foundation stones for India’s first-ever riverine lighthouses along the Brahmaputra at Lachit Ghat, Guwahati. The project is being implemented jointly by the Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships (DGLL) and the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.
The four lighthouses will be located at Bogibeel, Pandu, Silghat, and Biswanath Ghat, strategically positioned along National Waterway-2 to enhance navigation safety and support cargo and passenger traffic. Each 20-metre-high lighthouse, powered entirely by solar energy, will have a geographic range of 14 nautical miles and a luminous range of 8–10 nautical miles.
Alongside navigation aids, the lighthouses will feature museums, amphitheatres, cafeterias, children’s play areas, souvenir shops, and landscaped public spaces, making them new tourism landmarks. The project has an estimated investment of ₹84 crore.
Addressing the ceremony, Sonowal said, “These lighthouses are not just navigational aids but beacons for safer river transport and new tourist attractions. Inland waterways are a cost-effective, low-emission alternative to roads and railways, and these lighthouses enable 24×7 safe navigation, supporting the economic growth of Northeast India.”
The foundation stone ceremony was attended by senior officials and political leaders, including Ranjeet Kumar Dass, Minister of Tourism, Assam; Charan Boro, Minister of Transport, Assam; and several MPs and MLAs.
The lighthouses will be completed within 24 months and are expected to address rising cargo traffic on NW-2, which saw a 53% increase in 2024–25. They will also facilitate weather monitoring and round-the-clock operations for freight and passenger vessels, while reducing road congestion, emissions, and operational risks.
NW-2, stretching 891 kilometres from Dhubri to Sadiya, is India’s longest navigable inland waterway, and the new riverine lighthouses mark the beginning of a broader initiative to equip inland waterways with the same navigational safety infrastructure as coastal routes.
Nurturing Creativity – Keekli Charitable Trust, Shimla
