Jetty built in Tripura to operationalise Indo-Bangla waterway project

    Agartala, Jul 8 (PTI) A jetty was constructed on the
river Gomati in Tripura's Sipahijala district to
operationalise a part of the Indo-Bangla waterway project,
officials said on Wednesday.
    The jett would help connect Sonamura with Daudkandi in
Bangladesh, a distance of only 80 kilometres. At present,
ships and steamers ply from Haldia in West Bengal to
Daudkandi, which is a longer route.
    "The floating jetty at Sonamura is capable of carrying
12 tonnes of goods. It is now ready for operation," Sub-
Divisional Magistrate of Sonamura, Subrata Majumder, told PTI.
    The jetty, constructed by a Pune-based company, was
included in the list of Indo-Bangladesh Protocol routes in an
agreement signed between the two countries at Dhaka on May 20.
    The Public Works Department is now constructing the
approach road, which would be completed by next month and
after that, it would be inaugurated, Majumder said.
    The temporary jetty, which was completed in three
weeks, could be a game-changer in the state's communication
system, officials said, adding that boats and barges capable
of carrying 12 tonnes of goods would start moving in this
route.
    In a social media post, Tripura Chief Minister Bipab
Kumar Deb said, We shall have a route from Varanasi to
Sonamura opened for us. It is a historical milestone for us.
This jetty has been completed within three weeks. There is no
temporary jetty anywhere in India, which was completed in
three weeks.
    "It has been done for the first time in Tripura, that
too amid COVID-19 lockdown. I thank Prime Minister Narendra
Modi and MoS for Shipping Ministry for the initiative."
    Deb said the new water route would facilitate export
of pineapple, lemon, jackfruit, cashew nut, orange and bamboo
products to other states and abroad, and transport goods from
Bangladesh to India.
    The Gomati has sufficient water for movement of boats
and barges since it is monsoon now, Deb said.
    Though full-fledged operation would require a
permanent jetty, a temporary one was built to handle traffic
and works for construction of a permanent jetty which could be
completed in three years, the chief minister said.
    A technical committee of the Ministry of Shipping had
visited Srimantapur area of Sepahijala district last year and
surveyed three plots of land near Srimantapur Land Custom
Station to build a boat jetty and a warehouse.
    A terminal building would also be set up for checking
imported goods from Bangladesh, officials said.
    They said plans are afoot for dredging the riverbed of
Gomati to make way for boats and barges from Sonamura till
Ashuganj river port of Bangladesh during the winters.
    The Indo-Bangla waterway project will connect Gomati
river with the Meghna river of Bangladesh to get access to
Ashuganj port.
    Tripura shares an 856-km-long international border
with the neighbouring country and has eight notified Land
Custom Stations at Agartala, Srimantpur, Muhurighat,
Khowaighat, Dhalaighat, Manughat, Old Raghnabazar and
Anandapar (Sabroom). PTI JOY SBN
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(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)