Terminal to bolster trade with Bangladesh & Bhutan

The Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Mr. Sarbananda Sonowal recently inaugurated the Inland Waterways Terminal (IWT) at Jogighopa, Assam. Marking the occasion, a ship with two barges was flagged off MV Trishul, along with Barges Ajay & Dikshu, by the Union Minister with 110 metric tonnes of coal along with stone chips to Bangladesh.

The terminal holds strategic importance as it is located at a distance of 91 km from Gelephu in Bhutan, 108 km from Bangladesh border and 147 km from Guwahati which  makes it crucial for India’s bilateral trade ties with Bangladesh and Bhutan. The Jogighopa terminal is also one of the declared Ports of call under PIWT&T between India and Bangladesh.

By the year 2027, this terminal is expected to handle a cargo of 1.1 million tonnes per annum. The MV Padma Navigation II ship along with Barges Ajay and Dikshu carried 110 Metric Tonnes of coal, while MV Trishul is carried stone chips to Bangladesh.

Speaking on the occasion, the Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Mr. Sarbananda Sonowal, said, “The IWT terminal at Jogighopa is set to transform the connectivity in the region and bolster our trilateral trade with Bhutan and Bangladesh.”

Built at a cost of more than Rs. 82 crores, the Jogighopa terminal has an RCC jetty with an RCC approach designed for Electric Level Luffing (ELL) crane for cargo handling.

The terminal also has infrastructural facilities such as administrative building, customs office building, immigration office, truck parking area, 1100 sqm covered storage area with power back up, etc.

Mr Sarbananda Sonowal said, “The development of inland waterways holds great promise for transforming the logistics sector in India.