SHILLONG: Decks have been cleared for declaration of four rivers of Meghalaya as national waterways with the Parliamentary panel endorsing the State government’s recommendation.
This was informed by RP Khare, Member (Technical), Indian Waterways Authority of India recently.
He informed that Jinjiram, Kynshi, Simsang, Umngot (Dawki) were selected and the Parliamentary Standing Committee has submitted the recommendation on August 12, 2015 as per proposal for declaring 106 additional inland waterways as National Waterways.
The nine rivers of Assam — Barak, Subansiri, Lohit, Gangadhar, Aai, Beki, Puthimari, Kapili and Dehing -have also found a place in the list.
Khare, who was in city to participate in the Second North East Connectivity summit, organized by FICCI recently, informed that the matter would be discussed in the winter session of Parliament.
Increasing the navigability of these rivers will enhance trade and commerce with Bangladesh, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur on the one hand, and improve communication between the interior areas of Assam, Meghalaya and other adjoining states.
The Government of Meghalaya had identified five rivers which can be declared as national waterways. Of these only Ganol has not found place in the final list.
CARGO TRANSPORT: On the other, the connectivity with Chittagong port by Bangladesh is set to change the EXIM cargo transport pattern in the Northeastern region as well as in Bangladesh.
According to Khare, the matter came into prominence during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Bangladesh where India and Bangladesh inked the agreement on Coastal Shipping for two- way trade through ports and signed the MoU for the use of Chittagong and Mongla Ports for the movement of goods to and from India on June 6.
According to the protocol, the two Bangladesh ports can be used by India to ship goods to landlocked states in the North East which includes to Agartala, Dawki, Sutarkandi (Assam).
At the same time, on June 6, the two countries renewed the 1972 Protocol on Inland Waterways Transit and Trade.