Assam’s Kopili River (NW-57) operationalised with first-ever cargo trial run

Kopili River (National Waterway-57) in Assam was operationalised on August 02, 2025, with the first-ever cargo trial run from the Govardhan Bridge in Chandrapur, Kamrup, to Hatsingimari in South Samara.

The cargo vessel MV VV Giri, equipped with self-loading capacity, carried 300 tonnes of cement from Star Cement along the 300-kilometre route on the Kopili River (NW 57) and Brahmaputra river (NW 2), with a voyage time of approximately 12 to 14 hours.

The movement marks the resumption of intra-state waterborne freight transport in Assam after more than a decade.

The Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, underlined this development as a ‘watershed moment’ for Inland Waterways Transport in Assam and the Northeast. With this development, more than 1168 km of National Waterways in Assam have become operational, confirmed Sonowal.

“With the operationalisation of NW-57 on River Kopili, we are not only reviving a lost artery of trade within the state, but also taking a major step towards building an inland water transport system that is economical, efficient, and environmentally sustainable.”

“With the resumption of cargo movement on four National Waterways of Assam — on Brahmaputra (NW 2), Barak (NW 16), Dhansiri (NW31) & Kopili (NW 57) — we have made 1168 kms of waterways operational, offering a reasonable, economic and effective alternative mode of transportation. This will not only decongest our roads but also bring economies of scale for our many riverine communities in Assam to prosper and secure opportunities.”

This is the first cargo trial movement on the 46 kms long NW-57 since 2014.