Tripura urges Centre to start inland waterway transport in state

Guwahati: The Transport Minister of Tripura, Sushanta Chowdhury wrote a letter to Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal on Tuesday urging him to develop linkage of the Gomati River in Tripura with the Meghna River system in Bangladesh be set up through the Sonamura-Daudkandi protocol route.

The Minister wants the Centre to introduce inland waterway transport in the northeastern state.

“Initiative may be taken for linking Sonamura-Daudkandi waterway to ports in Bangladesh such as Ashuganj, Mongla and Chittagong… further connecting with important Indian rivers such Ganga, Brahmaputra, Barak and ultimately to connect Haldia port in West Bengal through sea routes and Sittwe port of Kaladan project in Myanmar,” he stated in the letter.

According to experts, the cost of transporting goods between India and Bangladesh will come down if the Sonamura-Daukandi protocol route is operationalised.

Moreover, Chowdhury also requested the Central Authority to approve the proposal to purchase six to ten passenger vessels to boost tourism and ease the crossing of the Gomati River by commuters.

He requested Sonowal to approve the purchase of a cruise ship and six passenger vessels to boost tourism in Dumbur Lake in the northeastern state.