The most positive development is that Bangladesh has agreed to extend any help and cooperation to make the waterways an effective means of transportation. Both the countries will be benefited by these waterways as it will speed up economic development and attract investors for industrialization. Transportation of raw and finished good between the two countries will be easier and cost effective and that will lead to rapid development. Regular and round the year shipping of goods will also contribute towards the preservation of river vegetation and other creatures.

The official records of the Central Inland Water Transport Corporation (CIWTC) speak of once booming waterways between Barak Valley and Kolkata. The revival of the waterways in all its pristine glory will create job opportunities and boost economic development. The vessels were last operated by the CIWTC to Silchar in 1975. After a gap of over three decades, from 2006 the Corporation has been carrying cargo from Kolkata to Barak Valley. The Corporation has an inland water terminal at Karimganj also on the river Kushiara.

The waterways to Barak Valley through Bangladesh will make for regular, easy and cost effective transportation of goods. Rail and Road links as well as waterways access with Bangladesh has remained suspended for a long time. The greatest handicap in navigation is the ever rising siltation in Barak River.

In the aftermath of the 2007 devastating floods, the Water Resources Department (WRD) studied the phenomenon carefully and accordingly mooted schemes for deploying machinery along with amphibian mini-multipurpose dredger to have effective de-siltation and re - sectioning process of the river and its tributaries.

According to WRD sources, the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) of the Ministry of Surface Transport, Government of India, planned to develop the waterways of Barak and Kushiara from Lakhipur to the Karimganj point of the river with the declaration of the 121 km waterway as a national waterway.

The IWAI framed up an estimate of Rs.58 crore for the purpose including development of channels for navigation with the required minimum waterway of 40 meter width and 1.5 to 2.0 meter depth along with the construction of four terminals at Lakhimpur, Silchar, Badarpur and Karimganj.

With the twin objective of survey and study of siltation problem in Barak and transportation of commercial goods, Central Inland Water Transport carrier MV Prafulla sailed from Kidderpore dock in Kolkata to anchor at the terminal in Silchar recently, halting at Badarpur.

Their investigation has so far revealed that at many places, the river bed has risen alarmingly with sand, wastes and boulder deposits. His opinion was that with the deployment of multipurpose dredger, the river bed had to be desilted and with electronic blasting machine, the boulders will have to be disintegrated. Besides, regular navigation as in the past would keep siltation at the minimum level.

Jyoti Lal Chowdhury