Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded the inauguration of the Inland Waterways Transport (IWT) Terminal on the Brahmaputra (National Waterway-2) at Jogighopa in Assam.
Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways and AYUSH, Sarbananda Sonowal, along with Bhutan’s Minister of Finance, Lyonpo Namgyal Dorji, inaugurated the Inland Waterways Transport (IWT) Terminal at Jogighopa in Assam.
The state-of-the-art terminal, connected to the Multi-Modal Logistics Park and strategically located in Jogighopa will be an international port of call for Bhutan and Bangladesh while enhancing logistics and cargo movement in Assam and the North East.
Responding to the post of Union Minister Sonowal, PM Modi wrote on X, “A noteworthy addition in our quest for improving infrastructure as well as encouraging inland waterways for progress and prosperity.”
The foundation stone of the IWT Terminal was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in February 2021.
“The new Terminal at Jogighopa is a game changer for the logistics sector of Eastern India. This will provide a big boost to trilateral trade between India, Bhutan and Bangladesh. This will propel logistics growth, to advance PM Modi’s vision of Viksit Bharat,” Union Minister Sonowal said during the ceremony on Tuesday.
He also spoke on how waterways transportation has undergone a tremendous transformation under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“The strategic position allows this terminal to play the role of an economic multiplier for the region, a testament to PM Modi’s doctrine of ‘Neighbourhood First,” the minister added.
He said that by leveraging the extensive network of rivers and water bodies, it can create a sustainable, cost-effective, and efficient mode of transportation for goods.
“Our government has brought in many path-breaking legislations like the National Waterways Act, 2016 and Inland Vessels Act, 2021 to empower and enable the ecosystem of inland waterways transportation for both cargo and passenger traffic. The northeastern states have transformed into a growth multiplier, with Assam spearheading this movement. As we cruise towards realising the vision of Viksit Bharat, the immense potential of the Northeast has a major role to play. With our rich and complex interweb of riverine systems with the Brahmaputra (National Waterways 2) playing a crucial role, the government has been developing infrastructure as well as curating an ecosystem to support the development of inland waterways transportation in the region,” he said.
Jogighopa, in the Bongaigaon district of Assam, is located on the northern bank of the River Brahmaputra.
According to the spokesperson for Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port (SMP), Kolkata, the terminal at Jogighopa was built at a cost of more than Rs 82 crore and is equipped with the RCC Jetty and electric-level luffing crane for cargo handling.
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