Historic Barge Voyage Revives Dibrugarh’s River Trade
A significant milestone was reached today as a barge laden with 540 metric tons of methanol departed from Bogibeel Terminal in Dibrugarh, headed for Dhaka, Bangladesh. Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, officially flagged off the vessel DLB Patkai, assisted by the tug Kushal Konwar. This event marks the first international shipment from Upper Assam to a foreign port since 1947, breaking a decades-long period of silence on the region’s historic river trade.
The methanol being shipped was produced by Assam Petro-Chemicals Ltd. (APCL) at Namrup and is set for delivery to Pangaon Port in Dhaka. The vessel will navigate approximately 768 kilometers along National Waterway-2 on the Brahmaputra River in India, then proceed along the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route (IBPR), covering a total distance of around 1,300 kilometers to reach Narayanganj, Dhaka.
Reviving River Trade
This voyage is seen as a crucial step in determining the viability of using the Brahmaputra River as a freight corridor to connect the Northeast region of India with international markets. Plans for regular methanol shipments to Bangladesh are underway, enabled by recent installations of customs and immigration complexes at Bogibeel and Dhubri.
Sonowal reflected on the historical significance of this event, stating, “For 70 years, that whistle fell silent and the ships stopped coming. Today, a ship leaves Dibrugarh for the world once again. The river never failed us; it lacked the will to revive it.”
Echoing this sentiment, Assam Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma celebrated the moment as a proud day for Assam, noting, “Assam’s own product, made in Namrup, is now traveling to an international market on Assam’s own river. The Northeast is no longer a frontier; it is India’s gateway to the East.”
A Vision for the Future
Sonowal proclaimed the shipment as merely the beginning, urging the youth of Assam to dream beyond their borders with the river as a gateway. He emphasized that Dibrugarh, fondly known as the Tea Capital of India, is reclaiming its legacy as a thriving river port. The government is committed to enhancing the region with world-class infrastructure while respecting its heritage.
Historically, Dibrugarh was a bustling hub for river traffic, with trade and passenger services flourishing from the mid-19th century until disruptions began in the late 1940s. The partition of India, geological changes, and subsequent conflicts led to a decline in river trading routes, halting regular shipments by the mid-20th century.
In the decades since, various initiatives have aimed to rekindle commerce on the Brahmaputra. Recent endeavors, including the inauguration of the Bogibeel terminal and the launch of the ‘Jalvahak’ cargo incentive program, signal a renewed commitment to harnessing the river’s potential.
The Inland Waterways Authority of India, along with partners such as Assam Petro-Chemicals and Cochin Bunkers Pvt. Ltd., played essential roles in making this shipment possible. Local Assam ministers, members of Parliament, and various officials were present to witness this historic departure, marking a revival of trade and connectivity for the region.
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