Assam resumes river cargo transport via Kopili after a decade

Guwahati, Aug 3: In a step towards the revival of Assam’s river-based trade and sustainable logistics, the National Waterway-57 (River Kopili) was operationalised on Saturday with the first-ever cargo trial run from the Govardhan Bridge in Chandrapur, Kamrup to Hatsingimari in South Salmara. The movement marks the resumption of intra-state waterborne freight transport in Assam after more than a decade.

Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal underlined this development as a ‘watershed moment’ for Inland Waterways Transport in Assam and the Northeast.

The cargo vessel MV VV Giri, equipped with self-loading capacity, carried 300 metric tonnes of cement from M/s Star Cement along the 300-km route on the Kopili river (NW-57) and the Brahmaputra river (NW-2), with a voyage time of approximately 12 to 14 hours. With this development, more than 1,168 km of national waterways in Assam have become operational, Sonowal said.

“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. For far too long, the rich inter web of riverine transportation remained neglected post independence,” the Union minister said.

“Today, with the resumption of cargo movement on four national waterways of Assam – Brahmaputra (NW-2), Barak (NW-16), Dhansiri (NW-31) and Kopili (NW-57) – we have made 1,168 km of waterways operational, offering a reasonable, economic and effective alternative mode of transportation. This will not only decongest our roads but also bring economies of scale for our many riverine communities in Assam to prosper and secure opportunities,” he added.

“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,” Sonowal said.

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 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.

By

Staff Reporter