An official said in Agartala on Monday that the international inland waterway communication route between India and Bangladesh up to Sonamura in Tripura’s Sepahijala district would be expanded by 40 km inside Indian territory to the neighbouring Gomati district.
The India-Bangladesh international transport protocol route, which was established in May of last year, is being upgraded and extended to promote water transport through the River Gomati, according to Sandeep R. Rathore, special secretary for transportation, who was speaking to reporters at the state secretariat.
He continued by saying that a package worth Rs 24.52 crore has been approved for the dredging of the river and the building of nine floating jetties. The Public Works Department (Water Resource) and the Tourism Department were tasked with dredging the path, and a request for proposals was issued for the building of the jetties.
“A proposal has been sent to the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways in order to extend the Sonamura-Daudkandi protocol route up to Maharani in Udaipur of Gomati district, 40 kilometres from Sonamura. The Central Board of Indirect Tax & Customs and the Ministry of Home Affairs have already given their approval in this regard, the official added.
The state government has sent a proposal to establish a trans-border commerce connectivity network with Chittagong Port of Bangladesh through River Feni, which flows between the two nations, in addition to the dredging and upgrading of navigability on River Gomati. The Inland Waterways Authority of India proposed conducting an automated hydrographic survey of River Feni and sending it to the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways (IWAI). The IWAI has already finished the hydrographic survey’s work.
In the meanwhile, a floating jetty was built in Srimantapur, close to Sonamura, and turned over to the Land Ports Authority of India (LPAI) for management, operation, and upkeep.
The work for setting up a permanent jetty is in progress and an agency selected for the work has started work on site, the official said.
Additionally, the state is creating a multi-modal logistical hub in Sabroom, which is part of the South Tripura district. The hub, which is anticipated to give Tripura improved connectivity with Southeast Asia, includes a special economic zone, one integrated check post, and a rail yard.
Subrata Choudhury, another secretary of transportation, stated that the multimodal logistic hub would improve connection for the roads, railroads, waterways, and airways.
The special secretary said that the projects, including the March 9-opened Indo-Bangla Friendship Bridge, would boost international trade, commerce, and tourism.
