India's First Riverine Lighthouses Laid on Brahmaputra
ECONOMY & POLICY

India's First Riverine Lighthouses Laid on Brahmaputra

The Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, laid foundation stones for four river lighthouses on the Brahmaputra at Lachit Ghat in Guwahati. The ceremony was organised 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 project marks the first deployment of lighthouse infrastructure on an inland waterway in the country.

The four sites at Bogibeel, Pandu, Silghat and Biswanath Ghat are positioned at strategic points along National Waterway two. The combined project outlay is Rs 840 million (840 mn) for the four lighthouses. Each tower will be 20 metres high, have a geographical range of 14 nautical miles and a luminous range of eight to 10 nautical miles, and will be powered entirely by solar energy.

The lighthouses will include museums, amphitheatres, cafeterias, children's play areas, souvenir shops and landscaped public spaces to promote tourism alongside navigation. Their commissioning responds to a 53 per cent surge in cargo movement on the Brahmaputra in the financial year 2024–25, making the corridor integral to Assam's tea, coal and fertiliser supply chains as well as passenger services. The facilities are expected to enable 24×7 safe navigation, host weather sensors and support sustained growth of freight and passenger movement.

The initiative followed a feasibility exercise, an MoU between IWAI and DGLL signed on 8 April 2025 and site transfers under Right of Use agreements in June 2025. Each lighthouse is scheduled for completion within 24 months of contract award after geotechnical investigation, topographic survey and detailed design. The DGLL is responsible for aids to navigation across India's 11,098 kilometre coastline and IWAI administers a national waterways network spanning over 20,000 kilometres, with National Waterway two covering 891 kilometres from Dhubri to Sadiya.

The Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, laid foundation stones for four river lighthouses on the Brahmaputra at Lachit Ghat in Guwahati. The ceremony was organised 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 project marks the first deployment of lighthouse infrastructure on an inland waterway in the country. The four sites at Bogibeel, Pandu, Silghat and Biswanath Ghat are positioned at strategic points along National Waterway two. The combined project outlay is Rs 840 million (840 mn) for the four lighthouses. Each tower will be 20 metres high, have a geographical range of 14 nautical miles and a luminous range of eight to 10 nautical miles, and will be powered entirely by solar energy. The lighthouses will include museums, amphitheatres, cafeterias, children's play areas, souvenir shops and landscaped public spaces to promote tourism alongside navigation. Their commissioning responds to a 53 per cent surge in cargo movement on the Brahmaputra in the financial year 2024–25, making the corridor integral to Assam's tea, coal and fertiliser supply chains as well as passenger services. The facilities are expected to enable 24×7 safe navigation, host weather sensors and support sustained growth of freight and passenger movement. The initiative followed a feasibility exercise, an MoU between IWAI and DGLL signed on 8 April 2025 and site transfers under Right of Use agreements in June 2025. Each lighthouse is scheduled for completion within 24 months of contract award after geotechnical investigation, topographic survey and detailed design. The DGLL is responsible for aids to navigation across India's 11,098 kilometre coastline and IWAI administers a national waterways network spanning over 20,000 kilometres, with National Waterway two covering 891 kilometres from Dhubri to Sadiya.

Related Stories

Gold Stories

Next Story
Resources

Schindler named among Forbes’ World’s Best Employers 2026

Schindler has been named among Forbes’ World’s Best Employers 2026, a global ranking recognising companies for their workplace environments.Compiled by Forbes in partnership with Statista, the ranking is based on independent employee feedback, including whether employees would recommend their organisation to friends and family.The company said the recognition reflected its focus on creating a workplace where employees can develop their expertise and build careers. ..

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

India needs an export-execution mindset: Vishesh Jain

Interview with Vishesh Jain, Founder & CEO, EximpleWhat gaps in India’s global trade ecosystem led you to build Eximple, and what problem did you see businesses struggling with most?Eximple came out of a problem that all three founders had seen from different choke points in the trade ecosystem. India has millions of MSMEs and manufacturers, and many of them can make products that are genuinely competitive on quality. Yet only a small fraction is able to build meaningful international businesses. In our experience, the gap is usually not manufacturing capability; it is the ability to exe..

Next Story
Building Material

Nuvoco reports 13.5% revenue growth in Q2 FY27

Nuvoco Vistas Corp. Ltd. reported consolidated revenue of Rs 27.9 billion for Q2 FY27, up 13.5% year on year. Cement sales volume rose 9% to 4.7 million tonnes (MMT), while EBITDA increased 11% to Rs 4.11 billion.The company said it began its cement operations in 2014 with a 2.3 MMT per annum (MMTPA) operation at Nimbol. It now aims to reach 35 MMTPA of cement capacity by FY28, nearly 15 times its initial capacity. Its portfolio spans cement, ready-mix concrete and modern building materials.On sustainability and cost efficiency, Nuvoco partnered with CleanMax for a 46.4 MW wind-solar hybrid re..

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

SPECIAL OFFER
QR Code