Intra-State River-Based Trade Revived In Assam After Over A Decade As National Waterway‑57 On Kopili River Becomes Operational

National Waterway‑57 (NW‑57) on the River Kopili in Assam was operationalised on Saturday (2 August) with the first cargo trial run in over a decade.

The 300 tonne shipment of cement, transported by the vessel MV VV Giri from Govardhan Bridge in Chandrapur (Kamrup) to Hatsingimari in South Samara, marks the revival of intra-state waterborne freight transport in Assam after more than a decade.

Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, hailed the event as a turning point.

“This is a watershed moment for Assam. With the operationalisation of NW‑57 on River Kopili, we are not only reviving a lost artery of trade within the state, but also taking a major step towards building an inland water transport system that is economical, efficient, and environmentally sustainable,” he said.

The 300 km journey, spanning both the Kopili and Brahmaputra (NW‑2), took approximately 12 to 14 hours.

With this, more than 1,168 km of waterways in Assam have now become operational, spanning the Brahmaputra (NW‑2), Barak (NW‑16), Dhansiri (NW‑31), and now Kopili (NW‑57).

Sonowal emphasised the wider benefits, “By shifting freight movement from road to waterways, we reduce emissions, ease road congestion, and lower logistics costs — all while making better use of our natural resources. Today’s trial run replaces roughly 23 truckloads of cement — that’s the power and potential of inland water transport.”

Also Read: Gadkari Unveils Rs 5,233 Crore Highway Projects In Andhra Pradesh