Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal will flag off the first international cargo voyage from Dibrugarh today at the Bogibeel Terminal. Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma will join the ceremony virtually as Chief Guest.
The maiden voyage will carry methanol produced by Assam Petro-Chemicals Limited (APCL) from Bogibeel to Pangaon Port in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The vessel will travel through National Waterway-2, along the Brahmaputra, and the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route (IBPR).
The voyage marks the first movement of a cargo consignment from Dibrugarh to a foreign port since Independence.
Brahmaputra trade link set to resume
Before Independence, the Brahmaputra served as a major trade route connecting Upper Assam with markets beyond the region, with Dibrugarh emerging as an important river port.
The flag-off marks a revival of international cargo movement from Dibrugarh through the river network and forms part of efforts to expand inland waterways as a cost-effective, lower-emission and efficient transport option for the Northeast.
The vessel carrying 27 ISO tanks had earlier arrived at Bogibeel from Guwahati to load the methanol consignment.
Voyage to connect Assam with Bangladesh
The cargo will travel from Bogibeel through the Brahmaputra before entering the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route for onward movement to Pangaon Port in Dhaka.
The event is being organised by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways and the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), in association with the Government of Assam and APCL. The ceremony will also be streamed live on IWAI’s YouTube channel, IWAI_ShipMin.
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