Tripura government urges Centre to introduce inland waterway transport in state

Tripura Transport Minister Sushanta Chowdhury on Wednesday wrote a letter to the Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, requesting for the development and introduction of waterways and linkage of Gomati River with Meghna River System in Bangladesh through Sonamura (Tripura)-Doudkandi (Bangladesh) protocol route.

In the letter, Sushanta said that Tripura has begun to envision the long-awaited introduction of inland water transport, provided that the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, Government of India, resolves the outstanding challenges.

In the letter, the Tripura Minister requested the Union Minister to set up a linkage of the Gomati River of Tripura with the Meghna River System in Bangladesh through the Sonamur-Doudkandi protocol route.

“Dredging of Indo-Bangladesh waterways Protocol Route (Sonamura-Daudkandi) beyond International Border inside Bangladesh (20.00 km) including the "no man's land" in order to achieve successful dredging and fruitful result on the dredging of Gomati River in the Indian portion. Extension of Sonamura - Daudkandi Protocol Route up to Udaipur”, he said.

The letter further requested the union minister Sonowal to take initiatives for linking the Sonamura-Daudkandi waterway to ports in Bangladesh such as Ashuganj, Mongla, and Chittagong. 

“Further connecting with important Indian rivers like Ganga (National Waterway-1), Brahmaputra (National Waterway-2), Barak (National Waterway-16), Ultimately, to connect to Haldia port in Kolkata through sea routes and Sittwe port of the Kaladan project in Myanmar along with purchase of at least six to ten passenger vessels in order to boost tourism and make it easier for commuters to cross the River Gomati every day”, the letter reads.

Sushanta said that with the goal to encourage tourism and water connectivity, one cruise ship and six passenger vessels may be approved for setting up of an IWAT in Dumboor Lake in Tripura.