Assam: Longest Vessel ever to sail on Brahmaputra anchors at Pandu Port from Haldia via IBPR

ASSAM: When the MV Ram Prasad Bismil became the longest vessel ever to sail on the mighty Brahmaputra, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways of the Government of India set a record. The 90-meter-long flotilla is 26 metres wide and has a 2.1-meter draught. After anchoring at Pandu port in Guwahati today, it successfully completed the first test run of heavy freight movement from Haldia Dock in Kolkata. Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways (PSW) and AYUSH, Sarbananda Sonowal, flagged off the vessel together with two barges - DB Kalpana Chawla and DB APJ Abdul Kalam from the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port in Haldia on February 16, 2022.

The importance of this pilot run is that it paves the way for the start of barging operations from Kolkata to Guwahati via the Indo-Bangla Protocol Route (IBRP). The shipment was loaded with 1,793 MT of steel rods from the United States. Tata Steel, based in Jamshedpur, needed a draught of 2.0 metres. The engineering marvel of this historic consignment continues to be the preservation of a minimum navigational draught of 2.0 metres is required, especially in critical areas. IBPR stretches like the Sirajganj-Daikowa stretch.

The dredging of this stretch was funded by the governments of India and the People's Republic of Bangladesh in an 80:20 ratio, allowing for seamless navigation. The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) and the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) collaborated to ensure the smooth operation of this historic cargo movement. The government took on the task of dredging and making the conduit a safe and smooth sail for vessels in order to revive and rejuvenate PM Narendra Modi's vision of bringing 'Transformation through Transportation.' Sarbananda Sonowal, the Union Minister, kept a close eye on all developments and personally monitored IWAI's dredging work in various areas along this stretch so that movement between NW1 and NW2 could begin as soon as possible.

Speaking from Delhi, the Union Minister, Sarbananda Sonowal said, “The vision of our Prime Minister Narendra Modiji is to energise the Ashtalakshmi potential of Northeast to power the growth engine of India. Under his vision of ‘Transformation through Transportation,’ we worked tirelessly to rejuvenate the water transport in the region. This is not only the cheapest & ecologically most adapt mode of transportation, it also allows the long awaited connect for the business of Northeast through the marine network with the rest of the world. As the pilot run of this longest vessel plying on the Brahmaputra anchors a success at Pandu today, we must recognise that this was made possible by the team to chalk out a working route during this season of challenging depth at many stretches. We remain deeply committed to bring business viability of water transport in Assam and reinvigorate the vitality of Brahmaputra as Northeast India’s economic fortune.” 

The minimum available depth between Dhubri and Pandu stretch for the last two fiscal years, i.e. FY2019-20 and FY2020-21, was 2.2 metres at Brahmaputra. According to a recent LAD report, this depth has depleted even further, dropping to 1.5 metres in January 2022. BITWA confirmed the required depth of 2.2 metres between Chilmari and Daikhawa.

Expressing gratitude on this watershed moment of economic history of Assam, the Union Minister, Sarbananda Sonowal, added, “For the people of Assam, the Brahmaputra is the lifeline. This was understood by the Prime Minister which is why he envisioned to shape the growth of this ecologically sensitive region via a medium that is widespread, economic & evniorment friendly. I want to thank the Prime Minister for supporting this initiative with all of his heart. We must also deeply thank the Bangladesh government without whose support this would not have been possible. On behalf of the people, I would like to extend our deepest gratitude for partnering with us to revive one of the best modes of transportation & creating an opportunity for mutual benefit & economic growth. Given the challenges, it would not have been a success without the support from the Chief Minister of Assam, Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma & I thank him for that. I would also like to thank the Government of West Bengal and Government of Bihar for all the support they provided for the successful completion of this pilot movement. I also commend the pioneering work done by the team of engineers, technocrats, and everyone involved to work around this challenge and finding a solution. We look forward to your support as we continue in our strive towards excelling & making inland waterways become the lifeline for the economic resurgence of Assam & the Northeast India.” 

It should be noted that the MV Lal Bahadur Shastri previously carried a consignment of 200 MT foodgrains for the Food Corporation of India (FCI) from Patna to Pandu, successfully completing the Pilot Movement cargo between Ganga and Brahmaputra on the National Waterway 1 (NW1) (NW2). Furthermore, an Over Dimensional Cargo (ODC) for the Numaligarh Refinery was previously transported via IBPR further onto NW2.

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