In a landmark development for Assam’s river-based logistics, National Waterway-57 (Kopili River) has been operationalised, marking the resumption of intra-state waterborne freight transport after over a decade.

The maiden cargo trial run, from Govardhan Bridge in Chandrapur, Kamrup to Hatsingimari in South Samara, saw MV VV Giri transport 300 tonne of cement from M/s Star Cement. The 300-km journey, via the Kopili (NW-57) and Brahmaputra (NW-2) rivers, took around 12–14 hours. Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal hailed it as a “watershed moment” for inland water transport in the Northeast.

With NW-57’s activation, Assam now has over 1,168 km of operational waterways, including Brahmaputra (NW-2), Barak (NW-16), and Dhansiri (NW-31). This initiative aligns with Maritime India Vision 2030 and PM Gati Shakti, aiming to create sustainable, multimodal transport corridors. The trial run replaced roughly 23 truckloads of cargo, highlighting inland waterways’ economic and environmental potential.