Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal received the maiden voyage of food-grains from Patna to Pandu via Bangladesh in Guwahati, last evening.
Chief Minister of Assam, Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma and MP of Lok Sabha for Guwahati, Queen Oja joined the celebration along with Sanjay Bandopadhyay, Chairma, Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) to welcome self-propelled vessel MV Lal Bahadur Shastri carrying a total of 200 MT of foodgrains for Food Corporation of India (FCI) as it completed the maiden pilot run from Patna to Pandu via Bangladesh.
IWAI is planning to run a fixed schedule sailing between NW1 and NW2 heralding a new age of inland water transport for Assam & the Northeast India. The vessel started its sail from Patna on National Waterway-1 (river Ganga) and passed through Bhagalpur, Manihari, Sahibganj, Farakka, Tribeni, Kolkata, Haldia, Hemnagar; Indo Bangladesh Protocol (IBP) route through Khulna, Narayanganj, Sirajganj, Chilmari and National Waterway-2 through Dhubri, and Jogighopa covering a distance of 2,350 km.
The dignitaries welcomed this wonderful beginning that has the potential to revolutionise cargo movement. Another vessel MV Ram Prasad Bismil with two barges Kalpana Chawla and APJ Abdul Kalam started voyage from Haldia on Feb 17 ] and is on the way to Pandu. The vessel is carrying 1800MT Tata steel and already reached Bangladesh Border at Dhubri. The ODC (over Dimensional cargo, 252 MT) of Numaligarh Bio-refinery reached Silghat on 15th February from Haldia through IWT via IBP route. Another ODC (250MT) consignment is also on the way to Silghat.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, “The start of cargo movement through ships through Indo Bangladesh Protocol Route (IBRP) marks the beginning of a new age of economic prosperity for the whole region of Northeast. I am confident that the vision of our Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modiji and enterprise of our Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal dangoriya will pave the way for growth & development of the inland water transport.”
Sarbananda Sonowal, said, “Today marks the beginning of a new age of inland water transport in Assam. This is going to provide the business community a viable, economic & ecological alternative. The seamless cargo transportation is a journey of unfulfilled desires & aspirations of the people of Assam. Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister, the Northeast region is ready to unlock the value of the Astalakshmi. We are confident that the cargo movement via waterways is going to play a pivotal role in energising India’s northeast as the engine of growth.”
The sustained effort to rejuvenate the historical trade routes via Bangladesh got a fillip under PM Gati Shakti. It has been envisioned that Northeast will slowly turn & convert into a connectivity hub. The integrated development plan, under PM Gati Shakti, has been envisioned in order to amp up swift movement of cargo over Brahmaputra.
The IWAI is also planning to run a regular scheduled service on these routes. The protocol on Inland water transit and Trade (PIWTT) between India & Bangladesh will be optimally beneficial when we can unlock the value from the cargo trade in the region.
