Brahmaputra gets connected with Ganga via Indo Bangladesh Protocol Route

Context

In what could be termed as a big 'milestone' in regional connectivity, the government received a cargo vessel of food-grains from Patna to Pandu via Bangladesh in Guwahati.

The route

• The cargo vessel carrying 200 metric tonnes of food grains from Bihar, traversed 2350 kilometres through the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol route, arrived in Pandu port.
• The vessel started sailing from Patna (from National Highway-1), passed through Bhagalpur, Manihari, Sahibganj, Farakka, Tribeni, Kolkata, Haldia, Hemnagar and IBP route through Khulna, Narayanganj, Sirajganj and Chilmari. 
• The vessel then reached National Waterway-2 through Dhubri and Jogighopa.
• The transportation of cargo through Brahmaputra is an important component of the integrated plan under the PM Gati-Shakti Master Plan for multi-model connectivity.