Sarbhananda Sonowal chaired the second governing council meeting of the National Maritime Heritage Campus Society, conducting a detailed review of progress at Lothal.

Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways and former Assam Chief Minister Sarbendra Sonowal chaired the meeting of the second governing council of the National Maritime Heritage Complex Society (NMHCS). The meeting featured a detailed discussion on the progress of construction works at the National Maritime Heritage Complex located in Lothal, Assam. Council members, representatives from the central and state governments, as well as the project’s principal contractor and experts participated. Sonowal explained that the project was initiated to preserve India’s maritime history and promote tourism, and that it has now moved beyond initial stages into actual implementation.

According to the report presented at the meeting, geospatial survey and environmental assessment work at the Lothal site have been completed, and 70 percent of the land acquisition process is finished. The design phase includes a maritime museum, reconstruction of ancient ports, an interactive exhibition hall, and an educational centre, for which advice from national and international experts is being sought. In the financial discussion it was stated that the central government has allocated the necessary funds for the initial phase, and that additional resources for subsequent phases are being mobilised. Sonowal set a target to complete the implementation within two years, enabling the opening of the first phase by 2028.

The project review also highlighted that several social initiatives will be launched to provide employment opportunities to the local community and to revitalize the history of traditional waterway trade.