Visakhapatnam: Assam is set to witness a major boost to inland navigation and tourism, with Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal announcing on Friday that four new lighthouses will be constructed along National Waterway–2 on the Brahmaputra.

The proposed lighthouses will come up at Bogibeel, Silghat, Pandu and Biswanathghat, giving a significant push to navigational safety on the busy river route while also opening new avenues for tourism development in the state.

Sonowal made the announcement at the closing ceremony of the Indian Lighthouse Festival 3.0 in Visakhapatnam, where he highlighted that lighthouses are evolving beyond maritime safety structures into vibrant spaces of culture, heritage and local enterprise.

“These new lighthouses in Assam will enhance safe river navigation along the Brahmaputra and also hold immense potential as emerging tourism hubs, connecting local communities with heritage and economic opportunities,” Sonowal said.

The festival showcased India’s maritime legacy through cultural performances, traditional cuisine, crafts and illuminated lighthouse locations, underlining the government’s broader initiative to transform lighthouses into lively centers of tourism and community engagement. Sonowal also said that after successfully converting 75 lighthouses into tourist destinations across India, the Centre now plans to develop 25 more.

With the Brahmaputra now joining this expansion initiative, Assam is set to benefit from improved river transport infrastructure, enhanced safety measures and a growing tourism narrative shaped around lighthouse heritage.

• Dipanjana D