Training facilities required for manpower.

Night navigation facilities, more Ro-Ro facilities, Jetties and warehousing facilities are required for developing waterways for sustainable transport in the North East, stakeholders have told the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) recently.

The stakeholders have also call for training facilities for manpower engaged in the sector during a recently held roadshow in the North Eastern region.

They highlighted the need to have an more loading-unloading facilities along the Inland Waterways Terminal between Dibrugarh and Bogibil.

The Inland Waterways Authority of India in association with the Ministry Of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) held a seminar in Guwahati during the week ending 27 May 2017 on the major issues linked with developing the rivers of the North East as viable and sustainable means for cargo and passenger transportation.

The seminar showcased the potential for cargo and passenger transportation on rivers Brahmaputra- NW- 2, Barak- NW-16 and others.

It also highlighted the enabling policies and infrastructure facilities available for safe handling and transportation of cargo on the navigable stretches where development works have commenced.

Of the 106 new National Waterways that were notified in April 2016 under the National Waterways Act, 2016, 19 are in the North East. These include NW- 16 (river Barak), NW- 95 (river Subansiri), NW- 39 (river Ganol), NW- 93 (river Simsang), NW- 101 (river Tizu and Zungki), NW- 31 (Dhansiri), NW- 62 (river Lohit), NW- 106 (river Umngot), NW- 18 (river Beki), among others.

River Brahmaputra connects the North East with Kolkata through the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol (IBP) route. The IBP route offers a seamless connectivity between NW-1 (Allahabad – Haldia) and ports in Bangladesh via NW-2 (Pandu, Assam). Along with river Brahmaputra, river Barak too provides inland water transit between India and Bangladesh through Pandu, Karimganj and Silghat (Assam) and Bangladesh’s Narayanganj, Khulna, Mongla, Sirajganj and Ashuganj

The Government is making constant endeavours to promote waterways as a more cost effective, economically viable and environment friendly mode of transport in the country.

The NW-2 stretch has been augmented with several infrastructural facilities such as a multimodal port and ship repair facility at Pandu, Ro- Ro terminal at Dhubri, Ro- Ro ferry services, night navigation facilities, Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) Stations and River Information Station (RIS) etc. to facilitate safe transportation of goods and passengers (tourists). Fii-news.com