The commissioning of fixed-day scheduled sailing service of cargo vessels between Kolkata and Pandu has brightened hopes of a cheaper mode of transportation for the supply of goods to the Northeast region. The Central Government’s scheme—‘Jalvahak’—incentivizing’the movement of long-haul cargo via National Waterways 1 (river Ganga), National Waterways 2 (river Brahmaputra), and National Waterways 16 (river Barak) is expected to boost cargo movements on the River Brahmaputra and Barak. India and Bangladesh are continuing cooperation on the use of the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol (IBP) route for inland water connectivity between NW1 and NW2; NW16 will be a key determinant of the sustainability of these scheduled services of cargo vessels. A cargo vessel carrying 1500 tonnes of cement from Kolkata docking at Pandu port in Guwahati after travelling via the IBP route amidst strained relations between India and Bangladesh over the attack on Hindus has kept up the hope for running the scheduled services smoothly. The ‘Jalvahak’ scheme offers reimbursement up to 35% of total operating expenditure incurred while transporting cargo on these routes connecting River Ganga with the Brahmaputra and Barak via Bangladesh. The scheme, valid for three years, also encourages cargo owners to hire vessels owned or operated by organisations other than the Inland Water Authority of India or Integrated Coastal Shipping Limited (ICSL), which provides flexibility to vessel operators from a business point of view. The Ministry of Port, Shipping, and Waterways showcases the incentive scheme to be ideal for major shipping companies, freight forwarders, trade bodies, and associations that handle bulk and containerised cargo. By opting for the scheme, it provides them an opportunity to optimise their supply chain network, states an official release. The cargo promotion scheme, which is a joint effort between IWAI and ICSL, provides direct incentive to the cargo owners to transport their goods via inland waterways for more than 300 km. Viability of inland water operations connecting River Ganga with the Brahmaputra and Barak was demonstrated in 2022 when a cargo vessel bringing 200 tonnes of food grain from Patna for the Food Corporation of India successfully docked at Pandu port. While smooth operation triggered hopes using the Brahmaputra waterways, the cargo operators needed assurance of fixed-day scheduled services for ending the element of uncertainty in their business operation along the route. The Jalvahak scheme provides this much-needed assurance in addition to incentivising the long-haul cargo operation. Waterways being the cheapest mode of transportation, smooth navigability and hassle-free operation via the IBP route have a natural advantage compared to freight operation through railways or roadways. Another crucial advantage of increased use of these national waterways is decongesting the narrow Chicken Neck corridor via Siliguri for bringing supplies of essentials to the Northeast region. The rise in demand for commercial goods in Northeastern states also pushed up the demand for more railway waggons and road freight transport vehicles, leading to a surge in goods traffic along the highways connecting the region through Siliguri. Decongesting the highways also significantly contributes to decarbonising the transport sector towards achieving the country’s climate goals. Instead of overdependence on a single mode of transport, a balanced distribution of transportation share for all three modes of transport can also reduce uncertainties leading to disruption of traffic on account of natural or manmade causes. Carrying out regular operations along the inland waterways routes for maintaining the least available depth for smooth operation of the vessels will be crucial to ending uncertainties along the route arising out of navigability issues. Regular operation of vessels helps maintain the channel depth. This also brings an added advantage of reducing water pressure on the riverbank and reducing the intensity of bank line erosion. IWAI estimates show that cargo movement between Patna and Guwahati costs 25% less than freight movement along highways via Siliguri. The cargo transit time on NW2 via the IBP route between the Kolkata and Pandu stretch is fixed at 18 days, while Pandu to Kolkata is fixed at 15 days. Maintaining the channel depth for smooth navigability will be essential to ensure that this scheduled transit time is maintained for certainty in commercial operation and to ensure that the advantage in terms of cost of operation is maintained. Maintaining the schedule is crucial for ensuring timely delivery by suppliers who enter business deals with their potential clients based on the reliability of the mode of transport for commercial viability. Passing on a part of savings due to reduced cost of operation to consumers in the region can significantly bring down prices of essential commodities in the Northeast region and provide relief to consumers. The government convincing the traders using the inland waterways to bring their supply of essentials to the region to pass on some portion of their savings to consumers will generate greater interest among the people in Northeastern states about the use of inland waterways for faster economic growth.