A Stakeholder Conference for development of Inland Waterways in Dimapur, Nagaland, today.
Dimapur: The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) and the Transport Department of Government of Nagaland will work together to study for navigation feasibility of Tizu Zunki (National Waterways 101). The decision to this effect was announced by Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, during the Stakeholder’s Conference held here today.
Tizu River in Nagaland flows into Chindown River (the third largest Tributary of river Irrawaddy River), also known as Ningthi River in Myanmar, at Htamanthi in Myanmar.
Chindown River further enters into the Irrawaddy River – the largest river in Myanmar. River Irrawaddy further drains into the Andaman Sea via the Irrawaddy Delta after travelling through river ports like Mandalay Chauk, Prome and Hinthada providing an alternative opportunity to use waterways for cargo movement from the Northeast to the international trade routes.
In Nagaland, the NW 101 flows from Longmatra (Nagaland) towards Avangkhu where the feasibility study of IWT will be conducted by the IWAI. This will examine from the perspective of fairway development, navigational aids, and terminal with minimum infrastructure, skill development and vessel procurement.
The Union Minister today also announced initiatives to develop the “immense” tourism potential of Doyang River Lake with community jetties as well as study the feasibility of Ro Pax ferries.
The Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPSW), via the IWAI, has been working towards empowering and enabling the complex and dynamic waterways of the region. The agency is working on multiple projects in this regard including the prestigious Kaladaan Multimodal Transit Transport Project, enabling linkage of multiple NWs like NW 2 and NW 16 with Indo Bangladesh Protocol Route (IBPR), development of fairway on IBPR as well as declaration of Ports of Call among others.
Sonowal said, “The complex and dynamic mix of waterways of the Northeast provides us with an excellent opportunity to build on the nation-building momentum. We remain firmly committed and on track to provide impetus for the development of waterways of the region”.
He along with the Chief Minister of Nagaland Neiphiu Rio called upon the youth of the region to train in maritime skills at the Maritime Skill Development Centre to avail employment opportunities in the marine sector.
– global bihari bureau
