Promoting River Transport

Assam has a large number of rivers, many of them linking up with the Brahmaputra, that we have totally ignored for the prospects of well-planned river transport. It is only now that some thought has been given to the possibilities of developing and promoting river transport as a regular mode of transport in the way rivers are used in European countries and elsewhere. No one can afford to overlook some of the disadvantages. One is the much-reduced speed of transportation. But there is also the much reduced cost of river transport to reckon with. For those who have the time and are not so rushed about when their cargo gets to its destination, there is nothing as attractive as river transport. Transport to downstream locations can be very much cheaper than what the costs are for surface transport. All that is required now is some research to determine actual travel time from one point to another, so that there is more precise information about how much time it takes to transport anything from point A to point B. More precise information about transportation time and transportation costs will create the kind of ambience that makes for more efficient ways of providing river transportation. This will also open up ways of using river transportation for tourism. The induction of high-speed river transport can be a major source of attraction for tourists who regard the Northeast as a destination worth coming back to time and again.