Lok Sabha Question No. 5036 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-04-01
Subject: Connectivity of North Eastern Region with Bangladesh
Ministry: PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS
Asked by: Sajda Ahmed

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF PORTS, SHIPPING  AND WATERWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5036

ANSWERED ON01IO4I2O22

## CONNECTIVITY OF NORTH EASTERN REGION WITH BANGLADESH

## 5036. SHRIMATI SAJDA AHMED:

will the Minister of PoRTS, SHIPPING  AND WATERWAYS  be pleased  to state: qf,{,  d-d qk{fr{ ofu  qccrtf  d-fi

- (a) whether the Government has formulated a roadmap  to improve connectivity  in the North Eastern Region through waterways with Bangladesh;
- (c) whether  the Government  proposes to set up a terminal in the uluberia on Hooghly  river in West Bengal and if so' the details thereof; and
- (b) if so, the details thereof ;
- (d) the details of the development  works undertaken  for the National  waterway in Rupnarayan River in West Bengal?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF PORTS, SHIPPING  AND WATERWAYS (SHRI SARBANANDA SONOWAL)

(a & b) Yes, Sir. The details of the  projects  undertaken to improve connectivity  of NE States through  waterways with Bangladesh are placed  at Annex'  -  1'

Further, central Government  has sanctioned  following  projects  to improve connectivity  in the North-Eastern  Region  (NER) using lndo-Bangladesh  Protocol  (lBP) Route for a period of 5 years from 2020-21  lo 2024-25:'

- i'NW.2(Dhubri.SadiyaStretchofriverBrahmaputra)atacostofRs.46lcr;and
- ii. NW-16  (river Barak) & lndo-Bangladesh  Protocol (lBP) Route  at a cost of Rs.145 cr.

Details of above projects are at Annex.-2

FurtherunderCentreSectorscheme(CSS)'lWTprojectshavebeensanctioned for implementation  through state Governments  in NE Regions. The details thereof  are indicated  in Annex-3.

- At present,  there is no proposal  to set up terminal at Uluberia  (W B  )(c)
- Details of the development works undertaken for the National waterways  in Rupnarayan River in West Bengal is at Annex-4. (d)

## Annex.  -  1

- 1' North Eastern States  are connected  with Eastern parts  of lndia through river Brahmaputra  (NW-2)  and river Barak (NW-16),  Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghti  river system (NW-1)  via Sundarbans (NW-97)  and lndo-Bangladesh  protocol  (lBp) route under a Protocol  on lnland  water Transit and rrade (PlwT&T)  between  lndia and Bangladesh since 1972' Plwr&T  is valid till March  2025 and renewable  every 5 years  on mutual consent  of both the countries.  Under this Protocol,  lnrand vessels  / cruises  of one country can ply on the designated  waterway routes of another country with following ROUTES  & PORTS OF CALL:

- '  R.UTES: The designated  rnrand water Routes  under this protocor  are: .

- 1&2 Kolkata\_Silghat&viceversa  .\_fl20km

- '

- 3 &  4 Korkata  -  Karimganj/Badarpur&  vice  versa :- 133g km

- . 5 &  6 Dhulian  \_  Aricha&  vice  versa

- .  \_270  km ' 7 & g Sirghat  -  Karimganj/Badarpur&  vice versa:  -1437 km

- o  g  & 10 Sonamura\_  Daudkandi&  vice  versa

:  \_g3  km

- ' PoRTS  oF CALL :Till May, 2020, there were six Ports of call each in lndia and Bangladesh  under the Protocol'  Five more Ports  of call and two more extended ports of call have been added increasing  the number  to eleven  ports  of call and two ;ffi?i?a ports  of cail in each country  as risted  berow through  2nd Addendum  to
- Fainray Development  by Dredging Memorandum  of Understanding  (MoU) on Daikhowa  and Ashuganj  to Zakiganl  on of  IBP Route in  Bangtadesh\_  The development  of fainrvay  from Sirajganj  to lndo-Bangladesh protocol  route bJtween

| Ports of Call   | Extended Ports of   |          |                  |
|-----------------|---------------------|----------|------------------|
|                 |                     |          | Tribeni (Bandel) |
|                 |                     | Shilghat |                  |
| Bahadurabad     |                     |          |                  |

Govt. of lndia  and Bangladesh was signed on OSrh April 2017.The estimated cost of the project  is Rs. 305.84  cr. funded  through Ministry of External Affairs to adopt a cost sharing ratio of 80:20 between lndia and Bangladesh.  The initial dredging has commenced from March'2019 in Ashuganj-Zakiganj  stretch andApril'2019  in SirajganjDaikhowa  stretch and completed in Aptil 2021. The maintenance  dredging for Ashuganj-Zakiganj  and Sirajganj-Daikhowa  stretch will be continued  upto March-2026 and April-2026 respectively.

- ln addition to above,  for the use of Chattogram  and Mongla  Ports of Bangladesh for movement  of goods to and from lndia, Memorandum  of Understanding  (MoU  dated 06.06.2015), Agreement  (dated 25.10.2018) and Standard Operating  Procedure  (SoP dated 05.10.2019)  have been signed. lt provides  connectivity to Agartala  (Tripura)  via Akhura  (Bangladesh);  Dawki (Meghalaya)  via Tamabil (Bangladesh);  Sutarkandi (Assam)  via Sheola (Bangladesh)  and Srimantpur  (Tripura)  via Bibirbazar (Bangladesh)  to Chattogram / Mongla  Ports in Bangladesh.

## Details of infrastructure  projects  on National Waten,/ays in NER;

- (i) Comprehensive  Project for development of National Waterway  (NW)\_2: lnland WateMays Authority of lndia (lWAt)  has undertaken  devetopment  of IWT projects  on National Waterway-2  (River Brahmaputra)  from Dhubri to Sadiya (891km)  atcostoft46l cr. fot a period  of 5 yearc (2020\_25).  The salient  features  of the projects  being  taken up are development  of navigable fairway  with day and night navigation  aids and terminals. The development  of NW\_2 enables waterway connectivity of North East region with Kolkata/Haldia  ports via Indo\_Bangladesh Protocol Route.  The major interventions under this project  are viz, (i) Construction  of Jogighopa terminal,  (ii)Alternative  road to  pandu port,  and (iii)  Ship repair facility at Pandu,  and (iv) Construction  of Tourist Jetties  at Biswanathghat, Jogighopa,  pandu and Neamati.
- (ii) Comprehensive Project for devetopment of NW-16  & tBp route: The development  of IWT projects  on National Waterway-.16 & lBp route at cost of {145 cr. for a period of 5 years (2020-25)  has been initiated  with fairway maintenance and Least  Available  Depth (LAD) along  with navigation aids. Action  for upgradation of Badarpur  and Karimganj  terminals  including  customs  and immigration  facility  at Karimganj  terminal has been initiated.  The major  interventions under this project  are - (i) Construction  of Terminal  at Sonamura on Gumti river, (ii) Construction  of terminal  at lvlaia on canga River and (iii) Upgradation  of Badarpur and Karimganj terminals.

## Annex.-2

Annex.  -3

## Proiects sanctioned under Central Sector Scheme (To  be implemented bv the respective State Governments)

|   sl. No. | State   | Name of Project                                                                                  |   Project Cost (t in Cr) |
|-----------|---------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------|
|         1 | Assam   | Construction of 15 Nos. (17.0m long) floating terminals at 15 Ghats on NW2 (Assam)               |                     6.07 |
|         1 | Assam   | Construction of 15 Nos. of (17.0m long) floating terminals at 15 Ghats on NW16 (Assam)           |                     6.37 |
|         1 | Assam   | Construction of 25Nos (17.0m long) floating terminals at 25 Ghats on NW2 (Assam)                 |                    10.97 |
|         1 | Assam   | Construction of 16Nos (25.0m long) floating terminals at 16 Ghats on NW2 (Assam)                 |                    13.7  |
|         2 | Manipur | Loktak lnland Water Transport Proiect-ll on Loktak Lake (Manipur)                                |                     7.88 |
|         2 | Manipur | Project proposal for utilizing the savings under CSS for "Survey of River Barak (Manipur side)"  |                     0.4  |
|         2 | Manipur | Loktak lnland Watenruays lmprovement Project for Loktak Lake (Manipur)                           |                    25.58 |
|         3 | Mizoram | Preparation o DPR for Tuichawang / Karnaphuli River (Mizoram)                                    |                     0.57 |
|         3 | Mizoram | Development of IWT on Khawthlangtuipui- Tuichawng Lunqlei District, Mizoram river in             |                    22.93 |
|         4 | Tripura | Setting up of linkage with Meghna river system in Bangladesh by developing Gumti River (Tripura) |                    24.83 |

- Construction of road from Denan Bunglow (near water front) to NH-41 for a length of 3.90 KM to facilitate  the movement of cargo by lwr mode in Rupnarayan  river was entrusted to lrrigation  & Water Directorate,  Govt. of West Bengal  at a cost of Rs. 15.45 cr has been completed. i.
- ii. construction  of steel pontoon  & gangway, at a cost of Rs. 1.53 cr. has been completed.
- iii. Transfer of 1.78 acres land at a cost of Rs. 1.08 cr. through Govt. of West Bengal at Mouza Amalhanda, J.L. No. 291 under P.S Panskura in the district of Purbamedinipur  to lWAl for development  of Port Terminal  in the river Rupnarayan (NW-86)