The Central government has agreed to finance 80 percent of the total cost for dredging work in river Meghna in Bangladesh side to operationalise the Indo-Bangla waterway connecting river Gomati.
Of the 90 km stretch from Sonamura in Tripura's Sepahijala district to Daudkandi in Bangladesh, about 40 km river bed needs to be dredged in order to increase the water level. The remaining cost will have to be incurred by the host country.
The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways will undertake a hydrographic survey in two more rivers - Howrah and Deo - for effective flood management.
The Union Ministry has already sanctioned Rs 25 crore to build 10 floating jetties to be laid from Udaipur in Gomati district to Sonamura in Sepahijala district. The proposed waterway will prove handy for pushing the infrastructure development in Tripura.
The cost of steel and cement is quite high in Tripura because of the high transportation charge. It will be reduced if construction materials are being transported through the Indo-Bangla waterway.
Moreover, Dhaka will also benefit from the proposed waterway. Substantial quantity of wheat is exported to Bangladesh through Tripura. The transportation cost will come down naturally if they use the waterway.
Earlier, a tripartite agreement was signed involving the Land Ports Authority of India (LPAI), Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) and the state to handle day to day operation and maintenance of jetties or other facilities.