National Waterway 2
Also called: NW-2 · Topic: Transport and Communication in India · NCERT: Class 10, Ch 7 "Lifelines of National Economy"; Class 12, Ch 7 "Transport and Communication"
Meaning
National Waterway 2 (NW-2) is the stretch of the Brahmaputra from Sadiya to Dhubri in Assam, 891 km long. The Brahmaputra is wide and deep, so large boats can use it, but it shifts its channels and floods often. Steamers can sail on the river up to Dibrugarh, 1,384 km from the sea. This route is shared with Bangladesh. NW-2 matters because the North-East has broken, hilly land where roads and railways are costly to build.
Example
Cargo boats move along the Brahmaputra between Dhubri, near the Bangladesh border, and Dibrugarh in upper Assam. They pass river towns such as Guwahati on the way.
Don't confuse with
- National Waterway 1: the Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly stretch from Prayagraj to Haldia (1,620 km). NW-1 is on the Ganga, and NW-2 is on the Brahmaputra.
Related concepts
- Inland waterways
- Inland Waterways Authority of India
- National Waterways Act 2016
- National Waterway 1
- National Waterway 3
- National Waterway 4
- National Waterway 5
- Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route