KOLKATA: In line with Government's focus on improving connectivity to
the North Eastern Region (NER), a landmark Container Cargo consignment
to sail on inland waterways from Haldia Dock Complex (HDC) to Pandu,
Guwahati, the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) terminal, on
4th November, 2019.
Shri Gopal Krishna, Secretary (Shipping) flagged off the
sailing-vessel, M Y Maheshwari via a video conference from Deep Bhawan
at Taratolla. This vessel will carry 53 TEUs (containers) of
petrochemicals, edible oil and beverage. The 12-15 days voyage will be
an integrated IWT movement via National Waterway- l (river Ganga), NW-97
(Sunderbans), Indo-Bangladesh Protocol(IBP) route and NW-2(river
Brahmaputra). He said, this is the first ever containerised cargo
movement on this Inland Water Transport (IWT) route. The 1425km long
movement is expected to establish the technical and commercial viability
of IWT mode using these multiple waterways even as a series of pilot
movements are planned on the stretch. Shri Krishna also said that the
latest IWT movement is aimed at providing a fillip to North East
Region's industrial development by opening up an alternate route for
transportation of raw material and finished goods.
The Protocol on Inland Water Transit and Tracie (PIWTT) between India
and Bangladesh allows mutually beneficial arrangements for the use of
their waterways for movement of goods between the two countries by
vessels of both countries. The IBP route extends from Kolkata (India) on
NW-1 to Silghat (Assam) on NW-2 (River Brahmaputra) and Karimganj
(Assam) on NW-16 (River Barak). Two stretches of Bangladesh inland
waterways viz, Sirajganj-Daikhawa and Ashuganj-Zakiganj on the IBP route
are being developed at a total cost of Rs 305.84 Cr. on 80:20 cost
sharing basis (80% being borne by India & 20% by Bangladesh). The
development of these two stretches is expected to provide seamless
navigation to and from North East India through waterways via the IBP
route. The contracts for dredging on the two stretches have been awarded
for achieving and maintaining requisite depth.
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