The National Waterway (NW)-57 (River Kopili) has been operationalised on August 2, 2025, marking the resumption of intra-state waterborne freight transport in Assam after more than a decade.
The first-ever cargo trial run started from the Govardhan Bridge in Chandrapur, Kamrup to Hatsingimari in South Samara. The trial involved the self-loading vessel – MV V.V. Giri, which transported 300 metric tonnes of cement from M/s Star Cement along the 300 km route on the Kopili River (NW 57) and Brahmaputra River (NW 2), with a voyage time of about 12 to 14 hours. With this development, more than 1,168 km of NWs in Assam have become operational.