New waterway connecting Tripura to Bangladesh within 3 months, says CM Biplab Kumar Deb
May 29, 2020
Agartala (Tripura) [India], May 29 : Movement of vessels ferrying goods would soon be made operational on the Sonamura-Daudkandi (93 km) stretch of Gomati River under the first Protocol Route of Tripura, Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb said on Friday.
The waterways project would connect Tripura with Daudkandi in Bangladesh.
"A temporary jetty would be installed at Sonamura within the next three to four months. I have had discussions with Sanjeev Ranjan, secretary to the Ministry of Shipping, for setting up the temporary jetty. He has assured me that it will be installed," said the Tripura chief minister.
Construction of permanent jetty is known to take around two years or more.
"Testing will be done in the ongoing rainy spell while dredging of the river will be carried out in the next winter season when the water level will come down. As per the initial report, there are 23 bridges that may create an obstruction for the movement of vessels if the water level rises. But dredging of the river will solve such problems," said Deb.
He thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladesh counterpart, Sheikh Hasina, for the approval of the Protocol Route amid the COVID-19 crisis.
The second addendum to the Protocol on Inland Water Transit and Trade was signed at Dhaka on May 20 by Riva Ganguly Das, High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh and Mohammed Mezbeh Uddin Chowdhary, Secretary to Ministry of Shipping, Bangladesh.
"The waterway will improve the connectivity of Tripura and adjoining states with Bangladesh's economic centres and will boost the bilateral trade between the neighbouring countries," said the chief minister.
