Longest vessel to sail on Brahmaputra docks at Pandu Port. See pics
PremiumHe said that the Centre is deeply committed to bring business viability to water transport in Assam and reinvigorate the vitality of Brahmaputra.
The longest vessel ever to sail on River Brahmaputra anchored at Pandu Port here on Tuesday after completing the cargo movement from Haldia in West Bengal via Bangladesh.
The 90-metre long vessel, MV Ram Prasad Bismil, along with two barges DB Kalpana Chawla and DB APJ Abdul Kalam carrying 1,793 metric tonne of steel rods, successfully completed the pilot run moving heavy cargo from Haldia Dock.
Union Minister for Shipping, Ports and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal had flagged off the vessels on February 16 from Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port in Haldia.
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The vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is to energise the ''Ashtalakshmi potential of Northeast to power the growth engine of India under his vision of ‘Transformation through Transportation,’ ", he said.
''This is not only the cheapest and ecologically most adept mode of transportation, it also allows the long awaited connection for the business of Northeast through the marine network with the rest of the world'', Sonowal added.
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For the people of Assam, the Brahmaputra is the lifeline and this was understood by the Prime Minister who envisioned to shape the growth of this ecologically sensitive region via a medium that is economic and environment friendly, the minister said.
Sonowal thanked the Prime Minister, the Bangladesh government, Assam Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma and the governments of West Bengal and Bihar for the support provided for the successful completion of this pilot run. Earlier, MV Lal Bahadur Shastri carried a consignment of 200 MT foodgrains for Food Corporation of India (FCI) from Patna to Pand, successfully completing the Pilot Movement cargo between Patna through Bangladesh to steam into Guwahati via Brhamaputra.
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