October 29: Experts have said that the infrastructure works being undertaken to connect inland waterways of India and Bangladesh could not only ease the transport movement between the two countries but also translate into swifter and less expensive freight movement to Nepal and Bhutan.

 Issuing a press statement, South Asia Watch on Trade Economics and Environment (SAWTEE) said that the experts expressed such views during an event organised in Kolkata on October 26-27.

Discussing the viability of inland waterways as an alternate mode of transport connectivity opening up new avenues of livelihood for the affected locals and trade facilitation opportunities in the Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN) region, Jaipur-based civil society organization CUTS International organized a ‘Sub-Regional Dialogue on Inland Waterways’ under its project titled ‘Expanding Tradable Benefits of Trans-boundary Water: Promoting Navigational Usage of Inland Waterways in Ganga and Brahmaputra Basins’ on October 26-27 in Kolkata, the statement said.

Aiming to create an alternate policy discourse between policy-makers, civil society and communities for enabling reform measures and better governance of inland waterways and sharing knowledge between governments and civil society on inland waterways, this sub-regional dialogue brought together more than 80 stakeholders from governments, academia, civil society and international organisations from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar and Nepal, according to SAWTEE. 

In regard to utilising the opportunities presented by India's investment in developing its inland waterways for the advantage of Nepal, former commerce secretary of Nepal and trade expert Purushottam Ojha pointed out the need to review the existing Nepal-India Treaty of Transit to include a provision giving Nepal right to use India's inland waterways for ferrying the cargos coming from or bound to Nepal.

Pravir Pandey, vice chairman of Inland Water Transport Authority of India, Ministry of Shipping, Government of India pointed out that works are underway to encourage the use of multimodal transport service for a portion of cargos bound to Nepal through inland waterways up to Kalu Ghat Terminus from where freight could be transported on trucks to Nepali borders.

Welcoming the participants, Bipul Chatterjee, executive director of CUTS International said that over the last few years this subject has gained better political traction in the region. Development of sustainable and economically viable inland waterways sector in this sub-region can not only contribute towards achieving sustainable development goals through poverty reduction and job creation but also have the potential to make regional cooperation process more inclusive. He emphasized on localisation of civil society discourse for fostering regional cooperation in eastern South Asia.

Sagar Prasai, country representative of The Asia Foundation, New Delhi told the audience that for a long time, South Asian countries have neglected possible tradable benefits of water. “Inland waterways navigation at regional level has never come in our discussion despite having historical significance. Land-locked countries can get access to sea by using the existing waterways of neighboring countries and can gain economic benefit of regional connectivity,” he said.

Shantanu Mitra, senior climate and environment advisor to DFID Asia Regional Team, British High Commission, New Delhi stressed on the need for regional connectivity through multi-modal means. “Ineffective policies and under-developed supply chains are some of the major obstacles in the way of regional cooperation. Thus, regional initiatives like this are particularly important for land-locked countries,” he said.

The event was supported by The Asia Foundation under the Civil Society Fund of South Asia Water Governance Programme of the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development.