Lok Sabha Question No. 4791 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-28
Subject: Cargo through Inland Waterways in Assam
Ministry: PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS
Asked by: Shri Kamakhya Prasad Tasa

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4791

ANSWERED ON 28.03.2025

## CARGO THROUGH INLAND WATERWAYS IN ASSAM

4791.  SHRI KAMAKHYA PRASAD TASA:

Will the Minister of PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS be pleased to state: पȅन , पोत पįरवहन और जलमागŊ मंũी

- (a) whether the Government has the data on the volume of cargo handled through inland waterways in Assam over the past five years, if so, the details thereof, including types of cargo and year-wise tonnage; (b) the  expected  impact  of  the  new  jetties  and  dredging  activities  on  cargo,  local trade, transportation and passenger movement in Assam; (c) whether the Government has the data on the amount of revenue generated from Assam's inland waterway routes over the last five years; whether  the  Government  has  conducted  any  assessments  on  the  economic
- (d) impact of developing the National Waterway-2 (NW-2) on Assam's local economy; and
- (e) if  so,  the  details  of  the  breakdown  of  the  revenue  generated  and  economic impact assessment thereof, year-wise and route-wise?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) Details of cargo recorded in past five years on the National Waterways (NWs) in Assam is at Annexure-1.
- (b)    Two  new  jetties  at  Jogighopa  and  Bogibeel  in  Assam  have  been  recently constructed on NW- 2.  The jetty at Jogighopa aims at improving the connectivity with neighbouring countries like  Bhutan and Bangladesh.  Bogibeel  terminal aims at improving the connectivity of upper Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland with rest of  India  via  Indo-Bangladesh  Protocol  (IBP)  route.  The  expected  impact  of  the  new jetties and dredging activities include augmentation in export / import of local products like- tea, agriculture / horticulture products and increased movement of passengers on NW-2 and NW-16.
- (c) The amount of revenue generated from Assam's National Waterways routes over the  last  five  years  on  account  of  pilot  charges,  wharfage,  terminal  berthing  charges including  rent,  pontoon/jetty  hiring  charges,  interest  on  deposits  etc.  is  detailed  at Annexure-2.

(d)  &  (e)  No  such  specific  year-wise  assessment  has  been  done  on  Assam's  local economy. However,  development  of  each  National  Waterway  for  promotion  of  Inland Water Transport has been taken up on the basis of their feasibility studies which shows following economic impacts:

- (i) Considerable  reduction  in  pollution  from  vehicular  traffic  when  inland  water transport is developed to take over a major portion of the road traffic.
- (ii) Considerable savings in cost of fuel as water transport is quite energy saving.

## Annexure-1

| National Waterways Cargo Data in Assam 2019-20 to 2023-24(in Metric Tons)   | National Waterways Cargo Data in Assam 2019-20 to 2023-24(in Metric Tons)   | National Waterways Cargo Data in Assam 2019-20 to 2023-24(in Metric Tons)   | National Waterways Cargo Data in Assam 2019-20 to 2023-24(in Metric Tons)   | National Waterways Cargo Data in Assam 2019-20 to 2023-24(in Metric Tons)   | National Waterways Cargo Data in Assam 2019-20 to 2023-24(in Metric Tons)   | National Waterways Cargo Data in Assam 2019-20 to 2023-24(in Metric Tons)   |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| National Waterways (NW)                                                     | 2019-20                                                                     | 2020-21                                                                     | 2021-22                                                                     | 2022-23                                                                     | 2023-24                                                                     | Type of Cargo                                                               |
| NW-2 (Brahmaputra River (Dhubri- Sadiya))                                   | 3,92,768                                                                    | 3,07,191                                                                    | 4,28,134                                                                    | 6,29,853                                                                    | 5,89,489                                                                    | Passengers, Passenger Goods, Motor Cycles, Vehicles, ODC, Crushed Stone     |
| NW-16 (Barak River)                                                         | 4,417.00                                                                    | 1,032.00                                                                    | 5,088                                                                       | 11,302                                                                      | 3,178.00                                                                    | Fruites & Vegetables                                                        |
| NW-31 (Dhansiri/Chathe )                                                    |                                                                             |                                                                             |                                                                             |                                                                             | 7,080                                                                       | ODC                                                                         |
| Grand Total Metric Tonnes                                                   | 3,97,185                                                                    | 3,08,223                                                                    | 4,33,222                                                                    |                                                                             | 6,41,1555,99,747                                                            |                                                                             |

## Annexure-2

| F. Years      |   2019-20 |   2020-21 |   2021-22 |   2022-23 |   2023-24 |
|---------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| Revenue (Rs.) |   6612222 |   3732809 |   3846650 |  15572694 |   7760078 |

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