Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, mentioned that there are 20 National Waterways in the Northeast and various projects worth over Rs 8 billion are being implemented for the development of these National Waterways in that region. He further stated that he had attended the signing ceremony of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) and Numaligarh Refinery (NRL). The purpose of this MoU is to utilise National Waterways-2 (Brahmaputra) and the Indo Bangladesh Protocol Route (IBPR) to export petroleum products to Bangladesh and other countries in Southeast Asia. The main goal of the MoU is to support the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, which is intended to enhance India’s Act East Policy. NRL plans to export approximately 10,000 metric tonnes of Petroleum & Petrochemical products every month from the IWAI Jogighopa Multi Modal terminal. NRL intends to establish a POL Oil Terminal at Jogighopa Logistics Park with railway connectivity. This agreement aims to fulfill the 'Hydrocarbon Vision 2030 for Northeast' by enabling the transportation of goods via inland waterways using NW2 and IBPR, thus initiating a new phase of EXIM trade for the Northeast region. Sonowal expressed, This marks a significant moment for the promotion of trade through inland waterways in the Northeast India region. The MoU's objective is to reinforce the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, which aims to bring about transformative changes in cargo movement within the region. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visionary Act East policy is empowering Northeast India, under his dynamic leadership, to unlock the full potential of the Hydrocarbon vision 2030. Modi ji recognizes the Northeast's potential to drive India's growth. We must effectively explore our extensive network of water bodies and the rich hydrocarbon potential to support the realization of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji's vision. Under this MoU, IWAI will offer its terminal for cargo movement, provide technical assistance, allocate land for laying petroleum pipelines, and establish bunkering facilities at various locations along the IBPR route. They will also provide support through vessels, technical aid for vessels like Tugs, Work Boards, Survey vessels, and others as needed. NRL will provide 40 acres of land with a provision to connect to the nearest Railway station at Jogighopa. They will set up loading and unloading facilities and work towards the goal of transporting 10,000 metric tonnes of Petroleum & petrochemical products each month through NW - 2 and IBPR from the IWAI jetty at the Jogighopa MMT Park. Sonowal mentioned, NRL is currently in the process of executing the Numaligarh Refinery Expansion Project (NREP), a project that combines refinery expansion and modernisation with a capital expenditure of Rs 28,026 Crores. As part of this project, NRL intends to transport over 16 Over Dimension Consignments/Overweight Consignments (ODC/OWC). They have already successfully transported five ODC packages from major industrial hubs in western India to the NRL project site using the Haldia Port and the IBPR and NW2 routes. The weight of the transported cargo currently stands at around 4,500 Metric Tonnes. If this were transported by road, it would have required approximately 300 trucks. Also read:  Ministry of Ports partners with DP World for Gujarat terminal PSA, MSC Discuss Strategic JN Port Phase 2 Partnership