Kolkata, Feb 18 (IANS) Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated the Inland Waterways Transport (IWT) Terminal at Jogidhopa in Assam on Tuesday and also flagged off a vessel with two barges with 110 tons of cargo for Bangladesh.
The foundation stone of the IWT Terminal was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in February 2021.
“The new Terminal at Jogighopa is a game changer for the logistics sector of Eastern India. This will provide a big boost to trilateral trade between India, Bhutan and Bangladesh. This will propel logistics growth, to advance PM Modi’s vision of Viksit Bharat,” Sonowal said during the ceremony.
The Union Minister also spoke on how waterways transportation has undergone a tremendous transformation under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“The strategic position allows this terminal to play the role of an economic multiplier for the region, a testament to PM Modi’s doctrine of ‘Neighbourhood First,” the minister added.
He said that by leveraging the extensive network of rivers and water bodies, it can create a sustainable, cost-effective, and efficient mode of transportation for goods.
“Our government has brought in many path-breaking legislations like the National Waterways Act, 2016 and Inland Vessels Act, 2021 to empower and enable the ecosystem of inland waterways transportation for both cargo and passenger traffic. The northeastern states have transformed into a growth multiplier, with Assam spearheading this movement. As we cruise towards realising the vision of Viksit Bharat, the immense potential of the Northeast has a major role to play. With our rich and complex interweb of riverine systems with the Brahmaputra (National Waterways 2) playing a crucial role, the government has been developing infrastructure as well as curating an ecosystem to support the development of inland waterways transportation in the region,” he said.
Among those present was Lyonpo Namgyal Dorji, Minister of Industries, Commerce & Employment, Royal Government of Bhutan.
Jogidhopa, in the Bongaigaon district of Assam, is located on the northern bank of River Brahmaputra. According to the spokesperson for Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port (SMP), Kolkata, the terminal at Jogighopa was built at a cost of more than Rs 82 crore and is equipped with the RCC Jetty and electric-level luffing crane for cargo handling.
Meanwhile, the SMP, Kolkata, Spokesperson said that the minister flagged off MV Trishul, with barges Ajay and Dikshu, with 110 metric tonnes of coal along with stone chips to Bangladesh.
“The terminal holds strategic importance as it is located at a distance of 91 km from Gelephu in Bhutan, 108 km from the Bangladesh border and 147 Km from Guwahati which makes it an important location for our bilateral trade ties with both Bangladesh and Bhutan,” he said.
He added that the Jogighopa Terminal is also one of the declared ports of call under PIWT&T between India and Bangladesh.
“By the year 2027, this terminal is expected to handle cargo of 1.1 million tonnes per annum,” he said.
He added the terminal also has infrastructural facilities such as an administrative building, customs office, immigration office, truck parking area, 1,100 square meters covered storage area with power back up, and 11,000 square meters of open storage.
The Spokesperson said that cargo traffic on national waterways has witnessed exponential growth in the last ten years – from 18 million tonnes a decade ago to 133 million tonnes in FY 2023-24 – at a CAGR of over 22 per cent.
Inland Waterways also holds significance for the tourism sector, he said, pointing to the world-class river cruise terminal being developed in Guwahati and the four dedicated river cruise terminals coming up at Silghat, Bishwanath Ghat, Neamati and Guijan.
–IANS
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