IWAI Vice-Chairman flags off ro-ro vessel MV Sankardev at Kolkata

This ro-ro vessel having capacity of carrying 12 trucks of 25 tonnes each and passenger capacity of 200 persons will be deployed in Brahmaputra river that forms National Waterways -2 at Guwahati.

Speaking on the occasion, IWAI Vice-Chairman Pandey stated, MV Sankardev will ease the connectivity problem faced by the dwellers of Majuli Islands in the Brahmaputra river which for a long time had no proper means of connectivity.

He said, "MV Sankardev will have a long lasting effect on connectivity along one of the most difficult river that is Brahmaputra."

He also mentioned that ro-ro vessels solve connectivity problems across big rivers like Ganga and Brahmaputra by reducing the requirement of cross-river bridges and providing cost-effective and easy means of transportation.

Notably, IWAI has already started two other ro-ro services in Assam. MV Gopinath having capacity of 8 trucks and 100 passengers is deployed between Dhubri and Hatsingimari which has reduced the travel distance by 190 Km.

This apart, MV Bhupen Hazarika of 8 trucks and 100 passenger capacity connects Majuli with Neamati. It has cut down the road route of 423 Km that trucks had to take from Neamati to Majuli Island via Tezpur road bridge, by limiting the distance to only 12.7 km with the use of inland water transport.