The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) has joined hands with the Hooghly Cochin Shipyard (HCSL) to set up a new ship repair facility at Pandu in Guwahati, Assam.
The memorandum of understanding (MoU), provides for the facility -- also known as Slipway -- to be developed on 3.67 acre land provided by the Assam government and is expected to be completed by August 2023.
The facility is to be built at an estimated cost of Rs 75 crore. The technical support will be provided by IIT Madras.
Given the expected rise in vessels transporting cargo from the region, there will be an increasing demand for ship repair and maintenance. At present, for this type of repair, ships are sent to Kolkata. There are nearly 200 vessels plying on the rivers of Assam.