Assam marked a historic milestone on Monday as the first international shipment to be ferried via waterways was flagged off from the Bogibeel Terminal in Dibrugarh, opening a new chapter in inland waterway connectivity between the Northeast and neighbouring countries.
Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal flagged off the vessel DLB Patkai, pushed by the tug Kushal Konwar from Bogibeel. Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma joined the ceremony virtually. A barge carrying 540 metric tons of methanol left the Bogibeel Terminal in Dibrugarh for Dhaka, Bangladesh, here today. Addressing reporters, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal described the occasion as historic and said Assam Petrochemicals Limited had taken steps to export around 540 metric tonnes of cargo to Bangladesh.
“Today, a ship leaves Dibrugarh for the world once again. Today, as cargo leaves Dibrugarh for a foreign port once again, the town’s proud past and its promising future meet on the same river,” Sonowal added. “Our grandparents grew up hearing the steamer whistle at Dibrugarh Ghat. The river never failed us. What it lacked for decades was the will to revive it,” he added. Dibrugarh was once among the busiest river ports in eastern India. “For decades, that glory was allowed to fade. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji, we set out to give Dibrugarh back its rightful place. The Bogibeel terminal, the customs and immigration complex and fixed-schedule cargo services under ‘Jalvahak’ are giving this historic town modern amenities and world-class infrastructure. We are building for the future while reinstating the heritage that made Dibrugarh great.
Because of the sustained focus of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government on improving connectivity and infrastructure in the Northeast, sonowal said the development was possible. For 70 years, that whistle fell silent and the ships stopped coming,” Sonowal said. He said the development of National Waterway-2 has opened new possibilities for trade and commerce, particularly for Assam and other northeastern states. Government steamers reached the town from Calcutta, now Kolkata, by 1856. In 1882, the Dibru-Sadiya Railway began operating from the Dibrugarh steamer ghat. By 1913, steamers sailed up the Brahmaputra to the town daily, carrying tea, timber and passengers.
The Union Minister said inland waterways can significantly reduce logistics costs compared to road transportation, creating opportunities for farmers, MSMEs and industries. He said the improved waterway connectivity could benefit sectors such as fertilisers, oil, refineries and petrochemicals, while also strengthening trade links with Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and Myanmar.
