Inland Waterways Authority of India Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Government of India, organized a stakeholder conference on 15th July, 2024 at Zone Niathu by the park, Chumoukedima.
The initiative of this stakeholder conference is aimed at harnessing the potential of the North Eastern Region of India by evolving a robust Inland Waterways ecosystem by developing waterways, creating fairways, terminals, tourist & community jetties to promote trade and tourism.
Nagaland has a National Waterway - Tizu Zungki (NW-101). IWAI will be undertaking studies to ascertain feasibility of this National Waterway for transportation of cargo and passengers. Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) - designed to address issues of national importance and ensure uniform development across the NER is also under implementation. Under this scheme, 100% funds are provided by government of India for development of IWT infrastructure including development of waterways.
IWT has the potential to greatly enhance economic growth, improve connectivity, and offer an environment friendly alternative to conventional transportation methods. Govt. of Nagaland under CSS has proposed few interventions to develop IWT in the state like the development of Longmatra to Avakhung stretch of Tizu-Zunki River (NW-101) and development of Inland Waterways Projects at Dhansiri River and Doyang Lake.
Chief Minister, Neiphiu Rio speaking as the Chief Guest stated that Union Minister coming to Nagaland is a wakeup call for the state and stated that Naga people are privileged people where we don't pay income tax, wealth tax property tax and are free from all burden. Ports shipping and waterways are new things to us and we have to come out from our comfort zone and go beyond and fully participate and take the benefit. Unless the participations come from the people themselves the department alone cannot do anything, the CM asserted.
He mentioned that civilization of the world, cities, towns and habitations that have progressed today building a big city are on the seashore or on the river banks. The cheapest way of transport is the waterway where people row the boat and sailed through direction of wind. Today things have changed but water use is not changed. It is more relevant today than before. Nagaland is rich but the unresolved Naga political issue, we remain poor because we did not explore or exploit our resources, he added.
Further, the CM assured the Union Minister to convince the youth to fully participate, the state stakeholders to give support and cooperation, for the future development of our younger generation and contribute to our society and our nation.
Union Minister, Ministry of ports, Shipping Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal in his address said that, Waterways is the most economical, sustainable and efficient mode of transportation. PM, Narendra Modi has always given top priority for the inland waterways in the country as the viable alternative to develop an efficient and effective mode of transportation in the country. The government under the dynamic leadership of PM Modi has been working towards enabling our rich resource pool of the country towards escalating the growth trajectory of India to become one of the fifth largest economies in the world in less than a decade. Northeast has a major role to play as the growth engine of India, as envisioned by PM, he said.
He mentioned that the complex and dynamic mix of waterways of the Northeast provides us an excellent opportunity to build on the nation building momentum. We remain firmly committed and on track to provide impetus for the development of waterways of the region. He called upon all the stakeholders present like transporters, EXIM traders, business interests and vessel owners to utilize the opportunity provided by the revamped waterways of the region.
Sonowal called upon the youth of the region to train in maritime skills at the Maritime Skill Development Centre to avail employment opportunities in the marine sector. In Nagaland, the NW 101 flows from Longmatra (Nagaland) towards Avangkhu where the feasibility study of IWT will be conducted by the IWAI. This will examine from the perspective of fairway development, navigational aids, and terminal with minimum infrastructure, skill development and vessel procurement.
The Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPSW), via the IWAI, has been working towards empowering and enabling the complex and dynamic waterways of the region. The agency is working on multiple projects in this regard including the prestigious Kaladaan Multimodal Transit Transport Project, enabling linkage of multiple NWs like NW 2 and NW 16 with Indo Bangladesh Protocol Route (IBPR), development of fairway on IBPR as well as declaration of Ports of Call among others, he stated.
Deputy CM, Home & Border Affairs, Y. Patton in his address stated that, this conference is an opportunity to reflect on our progress, share insights, and chart a course for future development. The Northeast region, with its vast network of rivers, offers a unique chance to enhance trade, tourism, and connectivity. By developing multimodal terminals, intermodal terminals, fairways, tourist jetties, and community jetties, we can transform this region into a thriving hub of economic activity. Enhanced connectivity will not only boost trade within the region but also facilitate smoother and more efficient movement of goods and people.
He pointed that, the Northeast region holds tremendous promise for trade. By leveraging our waterways, including the potential of Doyang River in Nagaland, we can create new avenues for commerce, opening up markets and fostering economic growth. This will not only benefit local businesses but also attract investments from outside the region. River cruise tourism is another area where we can make significant strides. By developing cruise routes and supporting infrastructure, we can attract tourists from across the globe, showcasing the unique cultural and natural heritage of this region. This, in turn, will generate employment opportunities and boost the local economy, he said.
Doyang River, with its picturesque surroundings, can become a key destination for river cruise tourism, drawing visitors and promoting sustainable tourism.
He also mentioned that, passenger and cargo transportation via waterways offer a sustainable and cost- effective alternative to traditional modes of transport. We can enhance the efficiency of our logistics network. Additionally, this mode of transport is environmentally friendly, contributing to our efforts to combat climate change. He urged all to bring forth their expertise and insights and work collaboratively to identify innovative solutions and best practices that can propel the IWT sector forward.
Tizu River in Nagaland further flows into Chindown River (Third largest Tributary of river Irrawaddy river), also known as Ningthi River in Myanmar, at Htamanthi in Myanmar. Chindown River further enters into Irrawaddy River the largest river of Myanmar. River Irrawaddy further drains into Andaman Sea via Irrawaddy Delta after travelling through river ports like Mandalay Chauk, Prome and & Hinthada providing an alternative opportunity to use waterways for cargo movement from Northeast to the international trade routes.
The stakeholder conference was held in the August presence of Minister of Tourism, Temjen Imna Along; MP (RS) Phangnon Konyak; MP ( LS) S. Supongmeren Jamir; MLA & Advisor, Mhathung Yanthan; MLA & Advisor, Transport & Technical Education, Temjenmenba; MLA & Advisor, S. Kiusumew Yimchunger; MLA, Z. Nysietho Nyutho; MLA, C. Kipili Sangtam. The Stakeholders includes government officials, industry leaders, experts and community representatives. The conference concluded with fruitful discussion.
(Tovikali, IA, Chumoukedima)
