Looking beyond navigation dredging of Brahmaputra

The alarming drop in the water level of the Brahmaputra poses a tougher navigability challenge than perceived. Using the National Waterways-II along the river for cargo movement between the northeast region and the rest of India via the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol route will require basin-level solutions beyond navigation dredging to ensure regular movement of vessels. This newspaper has highlighted in Tuesday's edition that sudden reduction in the water level of the river has left the authorities of the Inland Water Transport in Assam worried over the future course of navigation of vessels and boats. The change in the water flow regime has cast a shadow over the connectivity hopes for the region through the revival of the old river route. According to an estimate of the Inland Water Authority of India (IWAI), the inland water transport mode has the potential of diverting 8 million metric tonnes per annum cargo in the region. Diversion of cargo to waterways can bring down transportation costs significantly as compared to transportation costs for roads and railways. A cheaper mode of cargo movement can also reduce money outflow from the northeast region on sourcing food grains and other essential commodities to meet local market demands. The signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the IWAI and the Numaligarh Refinery Limited to facilitate transportation of 13 over-dimensional cargo of the refinery using the IBP route and the Brahmaputra waterways is one such initiative to boost cargo movement along the river. Flagging off a cargo ship at Patna in February carrying 200 tonnes of food grains to Guwahati via the IBP and the Brahmaputra marked another milestone of unlocking the potential of waterways for the landlocked region and reducing its overdependence on the narrow Siliguri corridor for cargo movement. Reduction of the water level has made maintenance of the required depth of channel water a challenging task. Piecemeal solutions of navigation dredging to pull out vessels stuck in shallow water is not going build the confidence of transporters and suppliers to use the river route. The cost of cargo movement from Patna to Guwahati via IBP and the Brahmaputra was projected to be 25 per cent less than cargo movement via Siliguri. Calculations will go haywire if its travel schedule of 25 days is delayed due to navigation issues arising out of water level reduction. IWAI had to deploy two dredgers to pull out two vessels from Bangladesh which got stuck in Dhubri following a drop in the Brahmaputra water level. Fall in the water level has also posed navigability challenges for regular ferry movement across the river for passenger and goods movement in the lean season. During monsoon season also high flood situation leads to suspension of ferry and boat services on the river within Assam and navigation problem if not solved, will be a disincentive to use the water transport mode. The problem has put the spotlight on the apprehension of diversion of Brahmaputra water by China and the long-term consequences of the construction of mega-dams on tributaries of the river flowing through Arunachal Pradesh and Bhutan. Diversion of forests for the construction of dams and infrastructure in the Brahmaputra River basin has aggravated the sedimentation problem. An expert committee constituted by the Assam Government on "Fluvial Morphology of River Brahmaputra, Sediment Management with Possibility of Dredging by Adopting Modern Technology" concluded that dredging operations along the entire length of the Brahmputra is not feasible for mitigating flood and erosion problem but it was of the view that silt may be removed clearing channels at select locations. The State Water Resources Department has started dredging in the Jia Bhorali River, a tributary of the Brahmaputra, on a pilot basis with the hope that an increase in water-carrying capacity of the tributary will reduce flood intensity but how it is going to impact the sedimentation in the Brahmaputra is not yet known. Experts have been pushing for a comprehensive study of the Brahmaputra River basin to evolve a sustainable solution to the management of recurring and ravaging annual floods, erosion caused by the river and find practical answers to navigation problems. A project of such magnitude requires massive financial assistance besides diplomatic efforts by India to push for management of the entire Brahmaputra River Basin in consultations with the basin countries. India and China do not have a water treaty and under the memorandum of understanding on the Brahmaputra, China provides hydrological data to India on the Brahmaputra only during flood season from May 15 to October 15. India and Bangladesh having access to hydrological data on the Brahmaputra River round the year are extremely important to find long term solutions to navigability to boost cargo movement with the rest of India via the IBP route. As Bhutan has focused on using the Brahmaputra waterway and the IBP route to boost its trade with Bangladesh, pushing for a basin level solution is the way out.