The much ambitious Sonamura-Arachighat inland waterway route, which has been awaiting a positive nod from the protocol committee of both India-Bangladesh, may get declared officially as a protocol route to kick start transshipment, in the next Dhaka-New Delhi meeting scheduled on March or April next.
According to sources, the committee that takes the final call on such issues meet twice a year to discuss the emerging issues and problems if it appears any.
“Two separate survey reports have been prepared by both sides—India and Bangladesh which are submitted September last year. Thus, it cannot get included in the agenda of the last meeting. It is expected that in the next meeting scheduled on sometime between March and April 2020 the matter will be cleared and an official declaration will be given” said a highly placed source.
The official declaration on the route is also needed of the hour in the sense until and unless this route will be inducted in the protocol route, the remaining work—such as dredging and expansion of the river-sides in order to increase the navigability of river Gomati cannot be started. An 80 Kilometer river route, through Gomati that meets confluence in River Meghna of Bangladesh, requires serious up-gradation so that it can become accessible for receiving shipments.
According to the reports submitted, the main issue that emerges as a serious problem before the inland waterway authorities are the existing bridges over river Gomati. “Due to natural reasons, Gomati River is not ready to start operations straightway. The bridges built over the rivers all throughout its course, specifically, for the stretch that will be connected with Bangladesh are needed to be maintained in a certain way so that shipment loaded streamers can easily access the route. There are many of these have been built in such a way that it does not permit the movement of streamers. This will be, perhaps, a big challenge for the authorities after the declaration of protocol route” the sources added.
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