The World’s Longest Vessel To Sail On The Brahmaputra River Anchors In Guwahati
After completing its pilot run of heavy cargo movement from Haldia Dock in Kolkata, the longest vessel ever to sail on the Brahmaputra was anchored at Pandu port in Guwahati.
The MV Ram Prasad Bismil is a 90-meter long vessel with a 2.1-meter draught. Union Minister for Shipping, Ports and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal flagged off the vessel, along with two barges – DB Kalpana Chawla and DB APJ Abdul Kalam – carrying 1,793 metric tonne of steel rods, from the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port in Haldia on February 16.
The pilot run paved the way for the start of barging operations on the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route from Kolkata to Guwahati (IBRP).
The consignment’s engineering feat remains maintaining a minimum navigational draught of 2.0 metres, especially on critical stretches like the IBPR’s Sirajganj-Daikowa stretch. “As the pilot run of this largest vessel plying on the Brahmaputra anchors a success today, we must recognise that this was made possible by the team’s ability to map out a working route during this season of challenging depth at many stretches,” Mr Sonowal said from New Delhi, virtually joining the program.
He also expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister, the Bangladesh government, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, and the governments of West Bengal and Bihar for their assistance in completing the pilot project. Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) and Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) collaborated to ensure that the historic cargo movement went off without a hitch.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision, according to Sarbananda Sonowal, is to energise the Northeast’s ‘Ashtalakshmi potential to power India’s growth engine through his vision of ‘Transformation through Transportation.’ “This is not only the most cost-effective and environmentally friendly mode of transportation, but it also allows the Northeast’s long-awaited connection to the rest of the world through the marine network,” he added.
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