Brahamaputra Basin

Brahamaputra Basin
8. Inland navigation waterways
River navigation in the 890 km long reach of the Brahmaputra from Sadiya to the Bangladesh border
is now the 'National Waterway No. 2' (Map 19) vide National Waterway (Sadiya-Dhubri stretch of
the Brahmaputra river) Act 1988 (40 of 1988). Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) is the
owner of this National Waterways No.2. The Central Inland Water Transport Corporation (CIWTC) is
operating this waterway since its establishment in 1957.The traffic potential on the river route is
estimated to be about 1.1 million tons by the year 2004-05.
The Brahmaputra along with its continuous water routes leading up to the ports of Calcutta and
Haldia is a very important traditional IWT route. Under an agreement with the Govt. of Bangladesh,
the CIWTC, an other Indian vessel operators are plying their cargo vessels between Assam and
Calcutta region making use of IWT transit facilities through Bangladesh. HPCL, Numaligarh refineries
are some of the cargo interests in the region besides CEA, Cement manufacturers and Government
Departments, Assam Petrochemicals and various project implementation agencies.
Important river stations/commercial centers along the river bank in National Waterway -2 are
Dhubri, Jogighopa, Pandu/Guwahati, Tezpur, Neamati, Dibrugarh, Sadiya and Saikhowa.
Pandu/Guwahat is the most important river station on NW-2 and the stretch downstream of Pandu
up to Bangladesh Border (260 kms) is the stretch where IWT operation is presently most active.
At present this waterway is being used by vessels of Govt of Assam, CIWTC, Border Security Force,
tourism vessels, and other private operators. Long cruise tourist vessels are making voyages
between Sivsagar near Dibrugarh and Manas wild life sanctuary near Jogighopa continuously. PoL
was transported by IWT on trial from Silghat to Budg- Budg and Baghmari in Bangladesh.
Inland navigation is an important and popular mode of traffic transport in different parts of this
basin from the ancient time. A huge bulk of traffic used to move through these waterways. Some
tributaries of Brahmaputra are navigable throughout the year by country boats. Few navigable
tributaries are-
1. The Subansiri for a distance of 143 Km from Subansirimukh to Chauldhawa ghat,
2. The Manas, for a distance of 48 Km from the railway line to it’s confluence with the
Brahmaputra.
3. The Bhoreli from Buragaon Bagicha to its confluence with the Brahmaputra, a distance of 64
km.
4. The Dhansiri (South), for a distance of 48 km from Golaghat town to Dhansirimukh.
5. The Kopili from Khariakhana to Jagigaon (confluence with the Kalong) a distance of 103 km.
6. The Buri Dihing is navigable by country boats from Nawsang Tea Estate to Dihingmukh, a
distance of 161 km, during the rainy season only.
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