Blitz Bureau
MARKING a milestone in India’s inland water transport network, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated the Inland Waterways Terminal (IWT) at Jogighopa on February 18.
A vessel with two barges—MV Trishul, accompanied by Ajay and Dikshu—was flagged off, carrying 110 metric tonnes of coal and stone chips to Bangladesh. The foundation stone for the terminal was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in February 2021.
PM Modi hailed the inauguration as a significant advancement in India’s infrastructure and a boost to inland waterways. In a post on X, he described it as “a noteworthy addition in our quest for improving infrastructure as well as encouraging inland waterways for progress and prosperity.”
The newly inaugurated terminal in Jogighopa is strategically located and connected to the Multi-Modal Logistics Park. It is expected to serve as an international port of call for Bhutan and Bangladesh, facilitating seamless cargo movement across Assam and the Northeast region. The event was attended by Bhutan’s Minister of Finance, Lyonpo Namgyal Dorji, underscoring the terminal’s regional significance.
“The IWT terminal at Jogighopa is set to transform connectivity in the region and bolster our trilateral trade with Bhutan and Bangladesh. Its strategic position allows it to act as an economic multiplier for the region, a testament to PM Narendra Modi’s doctrine of ‘Neighbourhood First,’” said Sonowal. The Jogighopa terminal plays a crucial role in India’s trade with Bangladesh and Bhutan.
