For the first time, the cargo service from Assam’s Dhubri River Port began on Friday.
A vessel – MV AAI (WB-1668) loaded with crushed stones – started its journey from the river port for Narayanganj of Bangladesh.
Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge!
The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) will transport the cargo consignment on river Brahmaputra through National Waterway -2.
KD Thongon, officer -in-charge of Dhubri River Port said, “It will be the first consignment movement through this river port on inland vessel.”
“The vessel MV AAI loaded with 1005 tonnes of crushed stone aggregate has been granted for voyage from Dhubri through Protocol Route No 2 and the period of permission of the sailing of the vessel through inland waters is from July 11, 2019 to August 9, 2019,” said Thongon.
Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge!
The Bhutan-based exporter company namely Bhutan Stone and Mineral, Post Box No. 104, Phuentsholing of Bhutan has sent the crushed stones to M/s Bashudhara Import Export Limited, Plot 125/A, Block A,Dhaka,1229 of Bangladesh.
Also read: Meghalaya police target loaded dumpers from Bhutan on way to Bangladesh
All the crushed stones were brought from Phuentsholing of Bhutan through 58 dumpers to the Dhubri river port by covering a distance of about 150 km.
The crushed stones were loaded in the vessel (MV AAI) applying modern technology by using convey Belt System in two days.
Also read: Meghalaya police deny “targeting” Bangladesh bound Bhutanese trucks
The vessel, with eight crew members led by master of the vessel Sujauddin Sk, will reach Narayanganj of Bangladesh in next 4-5 days, informed officer-in charge of the Dhubri port.
While the next consignment of crushed stones for another exporter company is also ready to leave the Dhubri River Port after clearance from the Custom department, the IWAI officials said.
The vessel cargo transport comes with several inherent advantages. Even as it reduces the handling cost, time and allows easier modal shift.
The government of India recently developed the National Waterway 2 (NW-2), which is a section of the mighty river Brahmaputra having a length of 891 km between the Bangladesh border near Dhubri and Sadiya in Upper Assam.
The IWAI officials further informed that a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between India and Bangladesh has already been signed for starting passenger vessels through this NW-2.
The officials hoped that this service would also be commissioned very soon.
It has also been reported that as the Meghalaya police stopped entry of dumpers from Bhutan carrying boulders to be delivered in Bangladesh, the stone exporters have chosen the waterway to export stones from Bhutan to Bangladesh.