Guwahati: The first consignment of over dimensional cargo (ODC) for expansion of Assam’s Numaligarh Refinery Ltd (NRL), transported through waterways, has reached the facility, an official release said. The ODC, transported by IWAI ship MV Marine 66, was received by Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal at the NRL jetty on Friday, it said.

“This is the first consignment transported by Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), the nodal agency of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways and in charge of inland waterways in the country, for the expansion of NRL capacity from 3T to 9T,” the release said.

The NRL and IWAI signed a Memorandum of Understanding last year for the transportation of a total of 24 ODC and overweight cargo (OWC) for the expansion project.

The ODC had left Kolkata on March 18 and travelled for nearly three months via the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route to reach the NRL jetty.

IWAI, with assistance from the Dredging Corporation of India (DCI), employed three dredgers at five locations in the Dhansiri river since March to make this transportation a success.

After receiving the cargo, Sonowal said the arrival of the ODC is a realisation of the prime minister’s vision of “transformation via transportation”.

“With the successful arrival of the first ODC at the NRL, traversing a long distance via waterways, the role of inland waterways to empower the growth of Assam as well as that of Northeast India is even more visible,” he said.

The minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways added that the shorter duration of time taken for transportation by waterways will ensure that the expansion work of the refinery is completed as per schedule.

(Source: PTI)