Rs 630 cr World Bank loan to modernise Assam ferry services

The World Bank has approved a loan of Rs 630 crore to Assam Inland Water Transport (AIWT) for modernisation of the state's passenger ferry services on the Brahmaputra and other rivers.

Of the total project cost of Rs 770 crore, the bank will provide Rs 630 crore, an official release said on Friday.

Assam's ferry services are integral to the lives of the people living both in the Brahmaputra Valley and Barak Valley.

Under the Assam Inland Water Transport Project (AIWTP), the infrastructure of passenger ferry services will be improved and the capacity of institutions running the inland water transport will be strengthened, it said.

Better-designed terminals and energy-efficient vessels will make the ferry services more sustainable with the least disruption to nature. The project will be initiated at Guwahati and Majuli.

The statement said, with the World Bank's support, the government will create an institutional framework to turn inland waterways into a mode of transport which is both attractive and suited to people.

With better navigation aids, appropriate safety gear and suitable marine engines, the ferry services are expected to get more reliable and safer.

The project will help build modern ferry terminals with improved infrastructure and focus on the safety of women passengers, the statement said adding that the new vessels will also be equipped with individual seats and washroom facility.

A strengthened regulatory regime will ensure reduced overloading, adherence to schedule and better crew standards, the statement added.