Guwahati, Aug 2 (PTI) Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal flagged off the first cargo trial run on National Waterway-57 on the Kopili river in Assam.
Sonowal flagged off the trial run from Govardhan bridge in Chandrapur in Kamrup to Hatsingimari in South Salmara-Mankachar district.
It marks the resumption of intra-state freight transport via waterway in the state after more than a decade, according to an official statement.
The cargo vessel, MV VV Giri, having self-loading capacity, carried 300 ton of cement along the 300-kilometre route on the River Kopili (NW-57) and Brahmaputra river (NW-2) with a voyage time of approximately 12-14 hours.
With this development, more than 1,168 km of National Waterways in Assam have become operational on Brahmaputra (NW-2), Barak (NW-16), Dhansiri (NW-31) and Kopili (NW-57), said Sonowal.
“This is a watershed moment for Assam. With the operationalisation of NW-57 on River Kopili, we are not only reviving a lost artery of trade within the state but also taking a major step towards building an inland water transport system that is economical, efficient and environmentally sustainable,” he said.
For far too long, the rich interweb of riverine transportation remained neglected post Independence, he said.
“Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Government of India has placed a strong focus on revitalising our inland waterways to create multimodal logistics corridors,” he added.
Assam is an important state in this regard as the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) is working on multiple projects to unlock value across riverways, Sonowal said.
“By shifting freight movement from road to waterways, we reduce emissions, ease road congestion and lower logistics costs — all while making better use of our natural resources. Today’s trial run replaces roughly 23 truckloads of cement — that’s the power and potential of inland water transport,” he stressed.
This is the first cargo trial movement on the 46-km long NW-57 since 2014, making it a turning point in the revival of intra-state cargo through Assam’s river systems, the statement said.
“The operationalisation of this route is in line with the Maritime India Vision 2030 and PM Gati Shakti, which aim to establish sustainable, integrated and efficient transport infrastructure across the country,” it added. PTI TR TR SOM
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