NewzVille Desk
Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated the Inland Waterways Terminal (IWT) at Jogighopa as he dedicated it to the people of the nation today. Marking the occasion, a ship with two barges was flagged off MV Trishul, along with Barges Ajay & Dikshu, by the Union Minister with 110 metric tonnes of coal along with stone chips to Bangladesh.
IWT at Jogighopa holds strategic importance as it is located at a distance of 91 km from Gelephu in Bhutan, 108 km from Bangladesh border and 147 km from Guwahati. This makes it crucial for India’s bilateral trade ties with Bangladesh and Bhutan. 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 a cargo of 1.1 million tonnes per annum.
Speaking on the occasion, the Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, said, The IWT terminal at Jogighopa is set to transform the connectivity in the region and bolster our trilateral trade with Bhutan and Bangladesh. Its strategic position allows it to play the role of an economic multiplier for the region, a testament to PM Narendra Modi’s doctrine of ‘Neighbourhood First’.
Through strategic regional projects and agreements with neighbouring countries such as Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar and others, India is diligently establishing itself as a pivotal waterway gateway for the facilitation of enhanced regional trade and seamless transport connectivity thus contributing to the overall development and integration of South Asia, while ensuring the sustainability and vitality of the region’s economic landscape.
Built at a cost of more than ₹82 crores, the Jogighopa terminal has an RCC jetty with an RCC approach designed for Electric Level Luffing (ELL) crane for cargo handling. The terminal also has infrastructural facilities such as administrative building, customs office building, immigration office, truck parking area, 1100 sqm covered storage area with power back up, and 11,000 sqm open storage.
Highlighting the role of inland waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal said, The development of inland waterways holds great promise for transforming the logistics sector in India. By leveraging our extensive network of rivers and water bodies, we can create a sustainable, cost-effective, and efficient mode of transportation for goods.
The event was attended by Lyonpo Namgyal Dorji, Minister of Industries, Commerce & Employment, Royal Govt of Bhutan; Ranjeet Kumar Dass, Minister of Panchayat & Rural Development, Govt of Assam; Bimal Borah, Minister of Industries & Commerce, Enterprises, Govt of Assam; Jogen Mohan, Minister of Transport, Govt of Assam; Phani Bhushan Choudhury, MP (Barpeta); Rakibul Hussain, MP (Dhubri); Pradip Sarkar, MLA (Abhyapuri South); Vijay Kumar, IAS, Chairman, IWAI among other dignitaries.
