Kaladan Multi-modal Transit Transport Project

Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project
Overview
Location Mizoram, India
Operation
Work begun 2 April 2008
Traffic Motor vehicles and Boat
Technical
Length 287 kilometres (178 mi)

The Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project is a project that will connect the eastern Indian seaport of Kolkata with Sittwe seaport in Myanmar by sea; it will then link Sittwe seaport to Lashio in Myanmar via Kaladan river boat route and then from Lashio on to Mizoram in India by road transport. Originally, the project was scheduled to be completed by 2014,[1] but as of November 2014, this project is likely to be completed and fully operational by 2016.[2]

Route

The project has several sections/legs:[3]

History

This project will reduce distance from Kolkata to Sittwee by approximately 1328 km and will reduce the need to transport good through the narrow Siliguri corridor, also known as Chicken's Neck.

Initially India had tried to persuade Bangladesh to offer transport and transit rights to the northeastern states. However, Bangladesh has consistently refused to grant such rights, including access to its Chittagong port, which is less than 200 km away from Agartala, the capital of Tripura.[5]

The project is being piloted and funded by the Ministry of External Affairs (India). The preliminary feasibility studies were carried out by Rail India Technical and Economic Services (RITES). Construction work on Sittwe port and the boat jetty in Paletwa, as well as the dredging work, will be executed by the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), with Essar Projects Ltd, a division of the Essar Group appointed in May 2010 as the main contractor.[6]

Current status

Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project is at present facing problems such as underestimation of the road length in Myanmar and plans to construct hydro-electric projects — Chimtuipui River and Lungleng River — on two tributaries of the Kaladan River followed by another project downstream. That the first two projects are being built by one public sector undertaking and the third is being constructed by another PSU (Public Sector Unit) has also led to coordination issues.Due to construction of this hydro electrical projects, Navigation of boats could be effected.[7]

As of November 2014, Indian Minister for North East, General VK Singh said this project is likely to be completed and fully operational by 2016.[8]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Purushothaman, Vakkom. "Kaladan Multi Modal Transit Transport Project to link sea route in Myanmar with Mizoram". The Northeast Times. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
  2. ↑ Highway linking India to Myanmar, Thailand likely by 2016: VK Singh
  3. ↑ Multi-modal project introduction
  4. ↑ Multi-modal route map
  5. ↑ Phukan, Papori. "Kaladan Multi-Modal Project In Myanmar". Manipur Online. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
  6. ↑ "Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project". Arakan Rivers. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
  7. ↑ Dikshit, Sandeep. "India-Myanmar transport project hits roadblock". The Hindu. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
  8. ↑ Highway linking India to Myanmar, Thailand likely by 2016: VK Singh

External links