DefenceFriday, 6 March 2026·The Hindu
India launches first riverine lighthouses on Brahmaputra’s National Waterway-2 in Assam
Four 20-metre solar-powered river lighthouses were laid on the Brahmaputra at four Assam locations under NW-2.
Key highlights
Direct fact
In March 2026, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal laid the foundation stones for four riverine lighthouses on the Brahmaputra River under National Waterway-2 at Lachit Ghat, Guwahati, marking India’s first inland-waterway lighthouse project.
Key specifics
- Four sites were named: Bogibeel in Dibrugarh district, Pandu in Kamrup Metro district, Silghat in Nagaon district, and Biswanath Ghat in Biswanath district.
- The project cost is about ₹84 crore, making it a major navigation-safety investment on NW-2.
- Each lighthouse is planned at a height of 20 metres with a geographical range of 14 nautical miles.
- The luminous range is 8–10 nautical miles, and the structures are 100% solar-powered.
- The project timeline is 24 months from the award of contract, with weather sensors and public amenities included.
Exam lens
TNPSC may ask a geography-and-infrastructure question: first riverine lighthouses, Brahmaputra, NW-2, ₹84 crore, 20 metres, 24 months. One-line framing: India’s first inland-waterway lighthouse project was launched in Assam to improve navigation and tourism.