The Haldia inland waterway terminal and jetty will be operational shortly for transferring exim and inland freight to Guwahati's Pandu terminal via National Waterway-2, which connects Kolkata and the Northeast (NW2). The central government has given a contract for the same. Sarbananda Sonowal, Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, stated that this possibility will provide an alternative to the chicken neck route for the convenient and cost-effective movement of freight from the North East to international countries and other Indian states. The port will also help move cargo upstream on the NW-1 from Haldia to Varanasi.