India to build first riverine lighthouses on Brahmaputra

Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal on Thursday laid the foundation stones for four riverine lighthouses along the Brahmaputra River, marking the first time lighthouse infrastructure will be established on an inland waterway in the country. The foundation ceremony was held at Lachit Ghat and was organised 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. Speaking at the event, Sonowal said the project reflects the government’s commitment to strengthening inland waterways as an efficient and sustainable mode of transport. He said waterways offer significant cost advantages, noting that transporting cargo by water costs far less than by road and generates significantly lower carbon emissions. The minister added that the Brahmaputra corridor is increasingly becoming a vital freight route for the northeastern region, supporting industries such as tea, coal and fertilisers while also facilitating passenger and tourism traffic.

India's first River Lighthouses will herald a new era of connectivity and growth on the Brahmaputra.

My interaction with the media in Guwahati. pic.twitter.com/tAmJb4ImwJ

— Sarbananda Sonowal (@sarbanandsonwal) March 5, 2026

The four lighthouses will be constructed at Bogibeel, Pandu, Silghat and Biswanath Ghat along the Brahmaputra River, which forms part of National Waterway 2. The project involves a total investment of around Rs84 crore. Each lighthouse will be about 20 metres tall and will have a geographical range of 14 nautical miles and a luminous range of 8–10 nautical miles. The structures will be powered entirely by solar energy and equipped with weather observation sensors to support round-the-clock navigation. Stretching about 891 kilometres from Dhubri to Sadiya, National Waterway-2 is the longest navigable stretch of any inland waterway in India and plays a key role in connecting the northeastern states with national and international trade routes.