Efforts on to Develop Barak River as National Waterways: Union Minister Sonowal

Reported by Bikram Sarkar

Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal today reviewed the progress of works for developing the Barak river into a major National Waterway.

Speaking to Northeast Live, Sonowal said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is taking special interest for the speedy growth of Northeast in terms of communication and connectivity. Sonowal informed that Prime Minister Modi has directed the Waterways ministry to take all possible steps to ensure smooth movement of goods and passenger vessels for facilitating trade, commerce as well as tourism.

Sarbananda Sonowal said that he had come to look into the progress made for developing the Barak river into National Waterway 16. A Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) terminal is also under construction following directives by the Prime Minister at Badarpur for connecting with Bangladesh, Sonowal said.

Besides, the Union minister of port, shipping and waterways also informed that 9000 metric tonnes of goods have already been transported through the Barak river this summer. Therefore, the ministry considers it to be feasible for developing Barak river into a National Waterway, while activities such as dredging would be done to meet other challenges, Sarbananda Sonowal added.

Sonowal hopes that the Barak river will also gain a significance among the other 111 waterways in the nation as far as trade and commerce is concerned.