Mayur MohtaAssam Petro-Chemicals Limited (APL) will ship methanol made at Namrup from Bogibeel port to Bangladesh along the Brahmaputra, reviving international river trade.
Dibrugarh is about to send cargo abroad by river again, nearly eight decades after Independence. Two vessels will carry 1,080 tonnes of methanol from Bogibeel port to Bangladesh. The voyage marks the start of commercial operations at the newly built inland water port.
Methanol from Namrup Heads to Bangladesh
Assam Petro-Chemicals Limited (APL) produces the methanol at its Namrup plant. The consignment will travel from Bogibeel port to Bangladesh by river.
Two cargo vessels, each about 30 years old, have been readied for the trip. Each vessel will carry 27 containers. Every container will hold around 20 tonnes of methanol. That means each vessel can move roughly 540 tonnes. Together, the two vessels will carry 1,080 tonnes.
A Week on the Brahmaputra
The vessels will cover nearly 783 kilometres between Bogibeel and the Bangladesh border. Officials expect the journey to take around seven days.
Bogibeel Port Is Ready for Business
The Bogibeel inland water port is now commercially ready for international water transport. Its complex already has a customs office, a jetty and a warehouse. Work on a lighthouse and a Regional Centre of Excellence is still underway.
Poojan Kumar looks after the Bogibeel port for the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI). He said the facility will open a wider route for products from Assam and the surrounding region once it is fully operational. That route will lead straight to international markets.
More Goods Could Follow
Kumar said many products could travel along the Brahmaputra. These include polymers and other products of Brahmaputra Cracker and Polymer Limited (BCPL). Petroleum products, coal and goods linked to the tea industry could also move by water.
The waterway could help farmers and traders too. Agricultural products from Dibrugarh and Upper Assam may find buyers abroad. Kaji nimbu, bhut jolokia and black pepper are among them. Local producers could gain access to international markets.
Reviving a Historic Trade Link
The project also brings back Dibrugarh’s old bond with river trade. Under British rule, the region was a major trading centre. Traders sent goods along the Brahmaputra to places across India and overseas. Dibrugarh was also among the top revenue collecting districts of that era.
The planned cargo movement through Bogibeel port should create a fresh trade route for Upper Assam. It also restores the Brahmaputra’s role as a channel for carrying goods to international markets.
Akshay Didwaniya
