Maiden shipment of steel on new Indo-Bangladesh route flagged-off
Indian authorities on Tuesday flagged off the maiden voyage of steel cargo-laden barge from Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port in West Bengal's Haldia to Pandu Port in Guwahati through the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route (IBPR).
The maiden voyage – a consignment of 1,798 tonnes of finished steel products by Tata Steel Ltd in Jamshedpur, India – showcases the multi-modal movement of cargo along with harnessing of the power of river-sea combination, as per an official release issued on Wednesday.
The two vessels, named DB ABDUL KALAM and DB KALPANA CHAWLA, are carrying some 900 tonnes of steel each.
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After unloading the consignment at Assam's Pandu Port, the barges will return with industrial coal cargo for Kolkata Dock System (KDS).
The barges will move along the neighbouring country's National Waterway 1 (River Ganga) onto IBPR and finally on National Waterway 2 (River Brahmaputra).
Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Shantanu Thakur, and Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal also attended the event.
Speaking at the occasion, Sonowal said, "Under PM Gati Shakti (India's national master plan for multi-modal connectivity) the government has envisaged an integrated approach towards communication that is efficient, economical and environment friendly.
"A synergy between inland waterways and ports is being worked out to serve as a multi-modal logistic hub for handling major domestic cargo."
