Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently hailed the inaugural run of vessel from Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port to Sittwe Port Myanmar developed under the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project.

 

About Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project

  • Kaladan Project would link India and Myanmar via the Bay of Bengal.
  • It was jointly identified by India and Myanmar to create a multi-modal mode of transport for the shipment of cargo from the eastern ports of India to Myanmar as well as to the North-Eastern part of India through Myanmar.
  • It is being constructed by India under the Grant in Aid Scheme.
  • Once completed, it will link Kolkata with the Sittwe seaport in Rakhine state in Myanmar, primarily over the Bay of Bengal – covering over 500 km.
  • The project envisaged four important stages —
      • Kolkata to Sittwe waterway;
      • Sittwe to Paletwa inland (River Kaladan) waterway;
      • Paletwa to India-Myanmar border post in Myanmar;
      • Finally, linking the road to Lawngtlai in Mizoramas part of the project’s last leg;
  • Benefits —
      • The project is expected to contribute to the economic development of the North-Eastern States of India.
      • It also provides a strategic link to the North-East, thereby reducing pressure on the Siliguri Corridor.