India and Bhutan Collaborate on Inland Waterways for Enhanced Trade
Strengthening Trade Links through Inland Waterways
This connectivity could enhance economic relations between Bhutan and Assam, aiding the transport of agricultural, industrial, and other goods.
New Delhi, Oct 10: India and Bhutan are investigating the use of inland waterways to offer the landlocked Himalayan nation a more effective route to international markets.
Recently, Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, met with Bhutan’s Infrastructure and Transport Minister, Lyonpo Chandra Bahadur Gurung. During their discussions, he emphasized the significance of India’s National Waterway-2 (Brahmaputra river) and the Jogighopa terminal in Assam as vital elements of this developing trade route.
The two nations also explored methods to enhance connectivity between Bhutan and India’s national waterways, aiming to improve cargo transport throughout the Northeast region.
Sonowal pointed out the strategic relevance of NW-2 and the Jogighopa inland waterway terminal as potential entry points for Bhutanese trade with global markets.
By developing multimodal connectivity around Jogighopa, Bhutan could gain an additional pathway for goods transportation, linking its trade activities with India’s broader inland waterway network.
The ministers also examined the potential of the Manas and Sankosh rivers and their possible integration with national waterways. Better alignment of these river systems with the existing inland water transport infrastructure could create new opportunities for cargo movement between Bhutan and the Indian river network, especially through Assam.
This dialogue is particularly important as India aims to promote inland waterways as a sustainable and alternative freight transport method. For Bhutan, enhanced river connectivity via Assam could alleviate logistical challenges tied to its landlocked status and provide improved access to markets beyond its immediate vicinity.
The proposed connectivity is expected to bolster economic ties between Bhutan and Assam, facilitating greater movement of agricultural products, industrial goods, and other commodities through multimodal transport systems.
Additionally, Sonowal addressed the prospects of maritime and inland waterway training for Bhutanese youth at the Centre of Excellence in Dibrugarh, which is being established to cultivate specialized skills. This initiative aims to broaden cooperation beyond infrastructure and trade, focusing on human resource development in the maritime and inland waterways sectors.