Agartala, February 20, 2024: A new inland waterway transport terminal was inaugurated on Tuesday at Tripura’s Srimantapur, Sonamura under Sepahijala district by Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal through a virtual event from Guwahati. The terminal is part of the India-Bangladesh Protocol Route that aims to facilitate the movement of goods and passengers between the two countries via waterways.
He has also inaugurated Passenger-cum-Cargo terminal at Bogibeel near Dibrugarh and upgraded terminals at Karimganj & Badarpur in Assam.
Speaking on the occasion, Sonowal said, “Under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi our rich and complex web of waterways are being developed with major projects launched here today. Modi Ki Guarantee is powering the waterways of the North East towards Viksit Bharat. The terminals at Bogibeel will act as a catalyst of economic development for the region, further amplifying trade opportunities for upper Assam as well as Arunachal Pradesh. The Sonamura terminal in Tripura will further trans-boundary trade between India and Bangladesh. The Karimganj and Badarpur terminals will also power trade opportunities. All these projects will go a long way towards realising the vision of Narendra Modi ji towards the North east acting as the powerhouse of India’s growth towards becoming Viksit Bharat.”
Announcing new major initiatives for the development of waterways in the region, Sonowal said, “It gives me immense pleasure to share with all of you that we have decided to deploy 6 tourist jetties on the National Waterways 2; i.e. River Brahmaputra. We have also decided to deploy 2 Electric Hybrid Catamaran at Guwahati which will ease passenger to commute between the two banks along Brahmaputra. Towards achieving Modiji’s vision of a powerful North East region, I am happy to share that Dredging Corporation of India will commence dredging operations in the North East region. These initiatives will power our waterways towards transforming North East to become the powerhouse of India’s growth story towards becoming a Viksit Bharat, a vision of Narendra Modiji. These transformative projects, under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji, will mark a new era of connectivity and prosperity for the Northeast region, furthering the ‘Act East’ policy of Modi government. These initiatives reflect Modiji’s unwavering commitment to drive inclusive growth and development in the region, delivering on the vision of Modi ji ‘Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas’.”
The inauguration ceremony was attended by Transport Minister Sushanta Chowdhury, Transport Department Secretary Uttam Kumar Chakma, Sonamura Nagar Panchayat Chairperson Sarada Chakraborty and other dignitaries at Srimantapur. Chief Minister Professor (Dr.) Manik Saha also delivered a video message on the occasion, highlighting the benefits of the terminal for the commercial and economic development of both India and Bangladesh.
The Chief Minister said that the terminal will not only ease the import and export of goods between the two countries, but also attract more tourists and generate employment opportunities through water transport. He added that the terminal will also strengthen the friendly relationship between the people of the two countries, who share a common history, culture and heritage.
Transport Minister Sushanta Chowdhury praised the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for giving priority to the development of the North-Eastern region, including Tripura, by improving the communication system with various states of the country and abroad by road, air, rail and water. He said that the state is on the path of development through the establishment of advanced communication system and that there is no need for any agitation for the development of the state. He said that the current government is working with the vision of creating One Tripura, Shrestha Tripura.
According to Press Information Bureau, The IWT terminal at Sonamura is developed with an investment of ₹6.91 crore. The upgraded terminals at Karimganj and Badarpur was completed with an investment of ₹6.40 crore. The IWT Terminal at Sonamura has the potential to attract trans-boundary trade including commodities like bagged cement, horticulture, consumer products and other local goods transported via road between India and Bangladesh. This jetty is also being developed as a multi-purpose jetty to support movement of passengers on ferries between the two countries. The renovated and upgraded terminals at Karimganj and Badarpur will further easy and increase the export activities & commodities. The projects have major influence in districts of Cachar, Karimganj & Hailakandi in Assam and adjoining states of Mizoram, Tripura, Manipur and Meghalaya due to the presence of cement industry, stone crushers, coal deposits, food processing units, tea estates, etc.
