India has sought Bangladesh’s help to open a foodgrains supply route to Tripura, southern Assam and parts of Manipur and Mizoram through that country's Ashuganj port.
Dhaka has in-principle agreed to transport 35,000 tonnes of supplies through Chittagong and Ashuganj ports during the recent visit of external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj.
The logistical challenge arose when the Centre finally started its long- pending project of broad-gauging the Lumding-Badrpur railway line in Assam, which's a major lifeline in this part of the country.
Tripura and parts of Manipur and Mizoram depend heavily on mainland India for essential commodities like certain food grains, petroleum products, sugar, salt, toiletries and detergents. They are normally transported through Kolkata and Guwahati.
As National Highway 44 (between Guwahati and Agartala) cannot take heavy goods traffic and since it is prone to disruptions due to blockades and insurgency in parts of Manipur and Assam, the Lumding-Badarpur train route is the only possible route to access Agartala.
But the project to broad-gauge over 200 km on this route is expected to take nearly 18 months and poses a major challenge to keep the North-East lifeline ticking.
The supply crisis has once again opened the debate about how India can take Bangladesh’s help to use its inland road, rail and waterways to keep Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur and parts of Assam alive and kicking.
Ashuganj port, being developed by Bangladesh on Meghna river, is 49 kms or an hour’s drive from Agartala.
“Enormous amounts of supply can easily reach Ashuganj from Kolkata or Vizag via Chittagong port at much lesser cost than what is being spent on the Kolkata-Guwahati road and rail routes. Similarly, Bangladesh's inland road network can save cost and time. Talks are on to formalise these modes,” a senior government official said.
Guwahati-Agartala: 560 km or 5-6 days
Ashuganj port– Agartala: 49 km or 2 hours drive
Chittagong port- Ashuganj port: 200 km via riverine route
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