Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project
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The Kaladan Road Project is a US$484 million project connecting the eastern Indian seaport of
Kolkata Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...
with
Sittwe Sittwe (; ; formerly Akyab) is the capital of Rakhine State, Myanmar (Burma). Sittwe, pronounced ''sait-tway'' in the Rakhine language, is located on an estuarial island created at the confluence of the Kaladan, Mayu, and Lay Mro rivers emptyi ...
seaport in
Rakhine State Rakhine State (; , , ; formerly known as Arakan State) is a Administrative divisions of Myanmar, state in Myanmar (Burma). Situated on the western coast, it is bordered by Chin State to the north, Magway Region, Bago Region and Ayeyarwady R ...
, Myanmar by sea. In Myanmar, it will then link Sittwe seaport to
Paletwa Paletwa (, ) is one of the westernmost towns of Myanmar, in Chin State 18 kilometres from the border with Bangladesh. Its population in 2014 was about 97,000. Demographics Rakhine is the Lingua Franca of the region, while Kuki-Chin languages a ...
in
Chin State Chin State (, ) is a state in western Myanmar. The Chin State is bordered by Sagaing Division and Magway Division to the east, Rakhine State to the south, Bangladesh to the south-west, and the Indian states of Mizoram to the west and Manipur t ...
via the
Kaladan river The Kaladan River ( my, ကုလားတန်မြစ်, ; also Kysapnadi, Beino, Bawinu and Kolodyne) is a river in eastern Mizoram State of India, and in Chin State and Rakhine State of western Myanmar. The Kaladan River is called the Chh ...
boat route, and then from Paletwa by road to
Mizoram Mizoram () is a state in Northeast India, with Aizawl as its seat of government and capital city. The name of the state is derived from "Mizo people, Mizo", the endonym, self-described name of the native inhabitants, and "Ram", which in the Mizo ...
state in Northeast India. All components of the project, including Sittwe port and power, river dredging, Paletwa jetty, have been completed,Still under construction
''The Statesman'', 13 May 2018.
India starts construction of ₹1,600-cr Mizoram-Myanmar Kaladan road
''Business Line'', 17 April 2018.
except the under construction Zorinpui-Paletwa road. Originally, the project was scheduled to be completed by 2014, but end-to-end project is expected to be fully operational only by March 2023 as per March 2021 update. The route of the project around Paletwa and along the
Kaladan river The Kaladan River ( my, ကုလားတန်မြစ်, ; also Kysapnadi, Beino, Bawinu and Kolodyne) is a river in eastern Mizoram State of India, and in Chin State and Rakhine State of western Myanmar. The Kaladan River is called the Chh ...
is troubled with Chin conflict,
Rohingya conflict The Rohingya conflict is an ongoing conflict in the northern part of Myanmar's Rakhine State (formerly known as Arakan), characterised by sectarian violence between the Rohingya Muslim and Rakhine Buddhist communities, a military crackdown ...
and militant groups such as
Arakan Army The Arakan Army ( my, ရက္ခိုင့်တပ်တော်, Rakhaing Tattaw; abbreviated AA) is an ethnic armed organisation based in Rakhine State (Arakan). Founded on 10 April 2009, the AA is the military wing of the United Lea ...
and
Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), formerly known as Harakah al-Yaqin ( "faith movement" in English), is a Rohingya insurgent group active in northern Rakhine State, Myanmar. According to a December 2016 report by the International Cr ...
(ARSA).Buddhist refugees in Mizoram begin journey back to Myanmar, but unconfirmed tales of horror keep them on edge
''First Post''
NE Displaced people
The Wire.
Among these the ARSA, created by Pakistan's
Lashkar-e-Toiba Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT; ur, ; literally ''Army of the Good'', translated as ''Army of the Righteous'', or ''Army of the Pure'' and alternatively spelled as ''Lashkar-e-Tayyiba'', ''Lashkar-e-Toiba'', ''Lashkar-i-Taiba'', ''Lashkar-i-Tayyeba'') ...
and has links with Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen in Bangladesh and the
Indian Mujahideen Indian Mujahideen (IM) is an Islamic terrorist group which has been particularly active in India. The jihadist group was founded as an offshoot of the Students' Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) by several radicalized members including Iqbal Bh ...
in India,Myanmar calling
''The Telegraph''
was behind the mass killing of Hindu
Burmese Indians Burmese Indians are a group of people of Indian origin who live in Myanmar (Burma). The term 'Burmese Indian' refers to a broad range of people from South Asia, most notably from present-day countries such as India, Bangladesh and also Pakis ...
in the Kha Maung Seik massacre. Paletwa is less than from the Bangladesh border.


History

This project will reduce distance from
Kolkata Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...
to
Sittwe Sittwe (; ; formerly Akyab) is the capital of Rakhine State, Myanmar (Burma). Sittwe, pronounced ''sait-tway'' in the Rakhine language, is located on an estuarial island created at the confluence of the Kaladan, Mayu, and Lay Mro rivers emptyi ...
by approximately and will reduce the need to transport goods through the narrow
Siliguri Siliguri, ) is a major tier-II city in West Bengal. It forms twin cities, "Twin Cities" with the neighboring district capital of Jalpaiguri. The city spans areas of the Darjeeling district, Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts in the Indian sta ...
corridor, also known as Chicken's Neck. Initially India had tried to persuade
Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...
to offer transport and transit rights to the northeastern states. However,
Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...
has consistently refused to grant such rights, including access to its
Chittagong Chittagong ( /ˈtʃɪt əˌɡɒŋ/ ''chit-uh-gong''; ctg, চিটাং; bn, চিটাগং), officially Chattogram ( bn, চট্টগ্রাম), is the second-largest city in Bangladesh after Dhaka and third largest city in B ...
port, which is less than away from
Agartala Agartala () is the capital city of the Indian state of Tripura, and is one of the largest cities in northeast India. The city is governed by the Agartala Municipal Corporation. The city is the seat of the Government of Tripura. It is located on ...
, the capital of
Tripura Tripura (, Bengali: ) is a state in Northeast India. The third-smallest state in the country, it covers ; and the seventh-least populous state with a population of 36.71 lakh ( 3.67 million). It is bordered by Assam and Mizoram to the east a ...
. The project is being piloted and funded by the
Ministry of External Affairs (India) The Ministry of External Affairs (abbreviated as MEA; hi, विदेश मंत्रालय, Videśa Mantrālaya, translit-std=ISO) of India is the government agency responsible for implementing Indian foreign policy. The Ministry of Ext ...
. The preliminary feasibility studies were carried out by Rail India Technical and Economic Services (RITES). Construction work on
Sittwe Sittwe (; ; formerly Akyab) is the capital of Rakhine State, Myanmar (Burma). Sittwe, pronounced ''sait-tway'' in the Rakhine language, is located on an estuarial island created at the confluence of the Kaladan, Mayu, and Lay Mro rivers emptyi ...
port and the boat jetty in
Paletwa Paletwa (, ) is one of the westernmost towns of Myanmar, in Chin State 18 kilometres from the border with Bangladesh. Its population in 2014 was about 97,000. Demographics Rakhine is the Lingua Franca of the region, while Kuki-Chin languages a ...
, as well as the dredging work, will be executed by the
Inland Waterways Authority of India Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) is the statutory authority in charge of the waterways in India. It was constituted under IWAI Act-1985 by the Parliament of India.http://iwai.nic.in/showfile.php?lid=882 See section 3 of the act Its hea ...
(IWAI), with Essar Projects Ltd, a division of the
Essar Group Essar Group is an Indian multinational conglomerate company, founded by Shashi Ruia and Ravi Ruia in 1969. As Essar Global Fund Limited (EGFL), the company controls a number of assets across the core sectors of energy (oil refining, oil a ...
appointed in May 2010 as the main contractor. Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project initially faced problems such as underestimation of the road length in
Myanmar Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John C. Wells, Joh ...
and plans to construct hydro-electric projects — Chhimtuipui River and
Lungleng River The Lungleng river, also known as the Lungleng Lui, is a river of Mizoram, northeastern India. It flows in a southerly direction towards Myanmar. Etymology The Lungleng river gets its name from the ''Lung Leng'' tribe of people, who are sedent ...
— on two tributaries of the
Kaladan River The Kaladan River ( my, ကုလားတန်မြစ်, ; also Kysapnadi, Beino, Bawinu and Kolodyne) is a river in eastern Mizoram State of India, and in Chin State and Rakhine State of western Myanmar. The Kaladan River is called the Chh ...
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. In April 2017, the Sittwe port and IWT Paletwa jetty were ready and operational. In April 2017, India handed over the operation of completed Sittwe port and Inland Water Terminal at Paletwa to Myanmar. In June 2017, India handed six gas tanker cargo vessels worth US$81.29 million (K110.08 billion) to the Myanmar government to transport gas to north-east India via
Manipur Manipur () ( mni, Kangleipak) is a state in Northeast India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. It is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west. It also borders two regions of Myanm ...
. Work on the port in Sittwe and the IWT in Paletwa, Chin State, is in its final stages, and the six cargo vessels are meant to facilitate transportation of goods from Sittwe to Paletwa. The $81.29 million cost of the vessels was met through a grant from India. The construction work was assigned to IWT in October 2012, the keels were laid in March 2013 and the vessels were launched between April and December 2016. On completion of the tests and trials at Yangon, the vessels reached Sittwe in March 2017. Acceptance trials were completed in April 2017 in Sittwe.vessels handed over to Myanmar by India
Mizzima, 2 June 2017.
In June 2017, after several upward budget revisions and troubles in finding contractors, the INR1,600-crore (US$250 million) contract has been finally awarded to an Indian company C&C construction for building 109-km road connecting IWT Paletwa river terminal to Zorinpui in Mizoram border. The contractor would open offices at Sittwe, Paletwa and Yangon in Myanmar, mobilise men and machine during the monsoon and start construction after the monsoon in October.


Route


Sea–river–road route

The project has several sections combining multi-modes of transport: * Kolkata-Sittwe shipping route - from seaport of
Kolkata Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...
in India to
Sittwe Sittwe (; ; formerly Akyab) is the capital of Rakhine State, Myanmar (Burma). Sittwe, pronounced ''sait-tway'' in the Rakhine language, is located on an estuarial island created at the confluence of the Kaladan, Mayu, and Lay Mro rivers emptyi ...
seaport in
Myanmar Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John C. Wells, Joh ...
via
Bay of Bengal The Bay of Bengal is the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean, bounded on the west and northwest by India, on the north by Bangladesh, and on the east by Myanmar and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India. Its southern limit is a line between ...
. This sea route has been operational for several decades. Port upgrade, from 20,000 ton vessels to 40,000 ton capacity vessels, has been completed. * Sittwe seaport to Paletwa inland jettyriver boat route - ' from
Sittwe Sittwe (; ; formerly Akyab) is the capital of Rakhine State, Myanmar (Burma). Sittwe, pronounced ''sait-tway'' in the Rakhine language, is located on an estuarial island created at the confluence of the Kaladan, Mayu, and Lay Mro rivers emptyi ...
seaport to Inland Water Terminal (IWT) and hydro power project at
Paletwa Paletwa (, ) is one of the westernmost towns of Myanmar, in Chin State 18 kilometres from the border with Bangladesh. Its population in 2014 was about 97,000. Demographics Rakhine is the Lingua Franca of the region, while Kuki-Chin languages a ...
jetty via
Kaladan river The Kaladan River ( my, ကုလားတန်မြစ်, ; also Kysapnadi, Beino, Bawinu and Kolodyne) is a river in eastern Mizoram State of India, and in Chin State and Rakhine State of western Myanmar. The Kaladan River is called the Chh ...
in
Myanmar Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John C. Wells, Joh ...
. River dredging and jetty upgrade completed in June 2017. There is at least one river lock for navigation.India's connectivity to Myanmar
Six barges of 300 ton capacity each were handed over to Myanmar by the government of India.
''Business Standard'', 2018.
Completed.
Sittwe Special Economic Zone at Ponnagyun town north from Sittwe upstream of
Kaladan River The Kaladan River ( my, ကုလားတန်မြစ်, ; also Kysapnadi, Beino, Bawinu and Kolodyne) is a river in eastern Mizoram State of India, and in Chin State and Rakhine State of western Myanmar. The Kaladan River is called the Chh ...
at Ponnagyun town is being built by India on 1000 acres. * Paletwa inland jetty to Zorinpui road route in Myanmar - two-lane in each direction (4 lanes total) road route from IWT
Paletwa Paletwa (, ) is one of the westernmost towns of Myanmar, in Chin State 18 kilometres from the border with Bangladesh. Its population in 2014 was about 97,000. Demographics Rakhine is the Lingua Franca of the region, while Kuki-Chin languages a ...
to Zochawchhuah(India)–Zorinpui (Myanmar) at Indo-Myanmar border in
Myanmar Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John C. Wells, Joh ...
. Construction contract of INR1600 crore (16 billion) was awarded to Ircon in June 2017, and construction commenced in April 2018,Road to Mandalay
''Indian Express'', June 2018.
after all the necessary approvals were granted by the Myanmar govt in January 2018. Mizoram to get connected with Sittwe port
Integrated Customs & Immigration Checkpost at Zochawchhuah-Zorinpui has been operational since 2017. Tender for the road upgrade was awarded in 2017, currently under-construction and to be completed by March 2023 as per March 2021 update.110-km road is final challenge for long-delayed India-Myanmar Kaladan connectivity project
The Print, 29 March, 2021.
* Zorinpui to Aizawl road route in India - from Indo-Myanmar border at Zorinpui to Aizawl. From Aizawl it connect to Aizawl-Saiha National Highway at
Lawngtlai Lawngtlai is the district headquarters of Lawngtlai district in the state of Mizoram in India. It is also the headquarters of Lai Autonomous District Council, one of the three autonomous district councils in Mizoram (the other two being Mara Au ...
in
Mizoram Mizoram () is a state in Northeast India, with Aizawl as its seat of government and capital city. The name of the state is derived from "Mizo people, Mizo", the endonym, self-described name of the native inhabitants, and "Ram", which in the Mizo ...
, India by road on
National Highway 54 (India) National Highway 54 (NH 54) is a National Highway in India. This is highway runs in the Indian state of Punjab Haryana & Rajasthan starts near Pathankot and ends at Kenchiya Hanumangarh district in Rajasthan, near NH 62. See also * List of ...
(NH-54), which then continues further to
Dabaka Dabaka ( ), also called Doboka or Dobaka ( ), is a town in Hojai district (formerly in Nagaon district) of Assam state in India. It is a commercial place situated in the central part of Assam. Demographics Indian census, Dabaka had a popula ...
in
Assam Assam (; ) is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur ...
via long NH-54 which in turn is part of the larger
East–West Corridor The East–West Corridor is the built-up area of north Trinidad stretching from the capital, Port of Spain, east to Arima. The term was coined by economist and political philosopher Lloyd Best, after gleaning the works of a technocrat named ...
connecting
North East India , native_name_lang = mni , settlement_type = , image_skyline = , image_alt = , image_caption = , motto = , image_map = Northeast india.png , ...
with the rest of India. Almost complete (June 2017).India awards road contract to complete Kaladan project in Myanmar
''Business Line'', 9 June 2017.
Awarded, upgrade to this national highway is under-construction and to be completed by March 2023. as per March 2021 update.
In June 2017, 2-lane route from Indo-Myanmar border at Zochawchhuah-Zorinpui to
Tuipang Tipa is a town in Siaha district, Mizoram, India. The famous Pala Lake is situated under Tipa Civil Sub Division. There are two sections of Original Tipa. One section is known as Tipa'B' (Bei vaih) While the other section is known as Viah Vaih ...
is almost complete. From Tuipang, the national highway is being further upgraded from 2-lane to all-weather 4-lane from
NH 54 National Highway 306 (NH 306) is a National Highway in the Northeastern Indian states of Assam and Mizoram. NH 306 begins in Silchar, Assam at the intersection of NH 37 and generally runs southward passing through Lumding, Silchar and Kolas ...
Lawngtlai Lawngtlai is the district headquarters of Lawngtlai district in the state of Mizoram in India. It is also the headquarters of Lai Autonomous District Council, one of the three autonomous district councils in Mizoram (the other two being Mara Au ...
to
Aizawl Aizawl (; Mizo: ) is the capital of the state of Mizoram in India. Aizawl was officially established on 25 February 1890. With a population of 293,416, it is the largest city in the state. It is also the centre of administration containing all ...
in
Mizoram Mizoram () is a state in Northeast India, with Aizawl as its seat of government and capital city. The name of the state is derived from "Mizo people, Mizo", the endonym, self-described name of the native inhabitants, and "Ram", which in the Mizo ...
. INR6000 crore (60 billion) was approved to further improve this Zochawchhuah–Zorinpui–Aizawl national highway.
Siaha Siaha (official name given by the Mara Autonomous District Council, popularly known as Saiha) is a census town in Siaha district in the Indian north-eastern state of Mizoram. It is the Headquarters of the Mara Autonomous District Council, on ...
–Zochawchhuah–Zorinpui missing section of the highway was under construction (April 2018). Lomasu to
Lawngtlai Lawngtlai is the district headquarters of Lawngtlai district in the state of Mizoram in India. It is also the headquarters of Lai Autonomous District Council, one of the three autonomous district councils in Mizoram (the other two being Mara Au ...
is a two-lane highway in each direction (total four lanes) and Lawngtlai to
Aizawl Aizawl (; Mizo: ) is the capital of the state of Mizoram in India. Aizawl was officially established on 25 February 1890. With a population of 293,416, it is the largest city in the state. It is also the centre of administration containing all ...
Guwahati Guwahati (, ; formerly rendered Gauhati, ) is the biggest city of the Indian state of Assam and also the largest metropolis in northeastern India. Dispur, the capital of Assam, is in the circuit city region located within Guwahati and is the ...
national highway is being widened to 4 lanes in each direction (total 8 lanes).India appoints post operator
''Irrawaddy''


Complementary railway route

This railway route will complement the river–road route of this project in Myanmar-Mizoram: * Sittwe–
Kyaukhtu Kyaukhtu or Kyaukhtu is a small town in Saw Township, Magway Region, Myanmar near the Chin Hills. Kyauktu (Kyaukhtu) is the second largest town in Saw Township. Kyaukhtu area is known as part of Southern Yaw by local people. It is like a gateway c ...
railway in Myanmar, – exists and operational: This route has been operational since 2011. To integrate with other routes-network in Myanmar, it will be further extended 311 km by 2021–22, from Kyaukhtu in north to
Ann Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie. Anne is sometimes used as a male name in the ...
in south and then south-east to
Minbu Minbu ( my, မင်းဘူးမြို့) is a city in Magwe Division, Myanmar. , the city has an urban population of 22,962. The area consists of low plain-land towards the Ayeyarwady River, and of undulating country inland rising highe ...
where it will connect to Myanmar rail network as well as long Kyaukpyu port–Minbu–Kunming high-speed railway being planned by China. * Kyaukhtu–Zorinpui in Myanmar, – planned but not yet surveyed: India has future yet-unapproved plans to fund and construct this missing link. * Zochawchhuah (Zorinpui)–
Sairang Sairang is a census town in Aizawl district in the Indian state of Mizoram. History After the British invasion of 1871-1872, Bengali traders set up the first market place in Mizoram in Changsil on the tlawng river, when the British established c ...
railway in India, – being surveyed since Aug-2017: Survey for the rail line from
Sairang Sairang is a census town in Aizawl district in the Indian state of Mizoram. History After the British invasion of 1871-1872, Bengali traders set up the first market place in Mizoram in Changsil on the tlawng river, when the British established c ...
(Aizawl) to
Hmawngbuchhuah Hmawngbuchhuah is a village in Lawngtlai Block in Lawngtlai district in the state of Mizoram, India. Location 147 km from State capital Aizawl. It lies on the border between Myanmar and India. It is on the east bank of Sekulh Lui River whi ...
on border near Zochawchhuah–Zorinpui was completed in August 2017 and it will be constructed in future phase.India's north east opened up
PowerUpConstruction.Com


Other projects – alternate route to northeast India

Compared to the long, congested "Chicken's Neck"
Siliguri Corridor The Siliguri Corridor, also known as the Chicken's Neck, is a stretch of land around the city of Siliguri in West Bengal, India. at the narrowest section, this geo-political and geo-economical corridor connects the eight states of northeast I ...
, this Kaladan project will almost half the distance to a mere . As an alternate route (unrelated to the Kaladan Multi-Modal project) to northeast India, India is also developing railway route from
Cox's Bazar Cox's Bazar (; bn, কক্সবাজার, Kôksbajar; ) is a city, fishing port, tourism centre, and district headquarters in Southeastern Bangladesh. It is located south of the city of Chittagong. Cox's Bazar is also known by the na ...
deep water port to
South Tripura district South Tripura ( bn, দক্ষিণ ত্রিপুরা জেলা) is an administrative district in the state of Tripura in northeastern India. History The district came into existence on 1 September 1970, when the entire state was ...
by rehabilitating the railway link from
Santirbazar Santirbazar is a town and Municipal Council in South Tripura district, Tripura, India. It is linked with Agartala (the state capital) by National Highway 8 (India), National Highway 8 via Udaipur, Tripura, Udaipur and Bishramganj to Sabroom. Geo ...
in India to Feni in Bangladesh, where a road and rail bridge is being built to connect the "
Belonia, India Belonia is a town and municipal council in South Tripura district, Tripura, India. It is also the headquarters of South Tripura district, South Tripura District. It is linked with Agartala (the state capital) by National Highway 108A (India), Na ...
Parshuram, Bangladesh road and rail crossing checkposts", this will reduce traffic through Sittwe, but will provide strategically redundancy if there is a war with China.


Travel arrangements


Zorinpui border crossing and visa arrangements

Integrated Customs & Immigration Checkpost at Zorinpui in
Lawngtlai district Lawngtlai district is one of the eleven districts of Mizoram state in India. The district is bounded on the north by Lunglei district, on the west by Bangladesh, on the south by Myanmar and on the east by Saiha district. The district occupies a ...
, is already operational since 2017.India opens two border crossing points with Myanmar, Bangladesh
''
Times of India ''The Times of India'', also known by its abbreviation ''TOI'', is an Indian English language, English-language daily newspaper and digital news media owned and managed by The Times Group. It is the List of newspapers in India by circulation, t ...
'', 1 Oct 2o17.
In early 2018, visa agreement were signed for the citizens of two nations to travel by road for education, medical assistance, tourism and other purposes.India ramps up Myanmar ties to gain foothold in ASEAN
''Myanmar Times'', May 2018.
This agreement was operationalised on 9 August 2018. Indians and Myanma citizens with valid passport and visa can pass through two official Land Border Crossings at
Moreh Givat HaMoreh (Hebrew: גבעת המוֹרֶה), in Arabic: Jebel ed-Duhy, is a hill in northern Israel on the northeast side of the Jezreel Valley. The highest peak reaches an altitude of , while the bottom of the Jezreel Valley is situated at ...
in Manipur (
Tamu Tamu may refer to: * Texas A&M University or TAMU * Tamu, Myanmar ** Tamu District, Myanmar ** Tamu Township * Ta'mu, rice cooked in woven coconut leaves from the Philippines * Tamu Massif, an inactive underwater volcano in the Pacific * '' Helio ...
in
Sagaing Region Sagaing Region ( my, စစ်ကိုင်းတိုင်းဒေသကြီး, ; formerly Sagaing Division) is an administrative region of Myanmar, located in the north-western part of the country between latitude 21° 30' north and lon ...
of Myanmar) and
Zokhawthar Zokhawthar is a border town in the Champhai district of Mizoram state of India. It is located in the Khawzawl R.D. Block, on the India–Myanmar border, near the Rih Dil lake. Khawmawi village and Rikhawdar on the Myanmar side are the acces ...
in Mizoram (
Rihkhawdar Rihkhawdar ( my, ရိခေါ်ဒါရ်; also called Rih), next to Khawmawi, is a border town in Falam District, Chin State, Myanmar. It lies opposite Zokhawthar village of the Champhai district of Mizoram, India, across the Tiau (Ciau ...
in
Chin State Chin State (, ) is a state in western Myanmar. The Chin State is bordered by Sagaing Division and Magway Division to the east, Rakhine State to the south, Bangladesh to the south-west, and the Indian states of Mizoram to the west and Manipur t ...
of Myanmar).


Motor Vehicle Agreement

In 2015, India proposed a trilateral Motor Vehicle Agreement to facilitate seamless movement of passenger and cargo vehicles among the three countries. In May 2017, during a visit by Thai officials to Manipur, the state's Chief Secretary Oinam Nabakishore declared that the draft of the trilateral agreement had already been prepared. As of May 2018, the signing of Motor vehicle agreement is still pending.


Related projects

Myanmar is key part of India's "Look East" policy and Kaladan project has enabled several other associated projects with ongoing development of growing list of integrated linkages.


Commerce and trade


Sittwe Special Economic Zone

Sittwe Special Economic Zone (Sittwe SEZ) at Ponnagyun town was announced by India's Union Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh at the India-
ASEAN ASEAN ( , ), officially the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, is a political and economic union of 10 member states in Southeast Asia, which promotes intergovernmental cooperation and facilitates economic, political, security, militar ...
Foreign Ministers meet at Laos in August 2016. The 1000 acre SEZ will be built north from Sittwe upstream of
Kaladan River The Kaladan River ( my, ကုလားတန်မြစ်, ; also Kysapnadi, Beino, Bawinu and Kolodyne) is a river in eastern Mizoram State of India, and in Chin State and Rakhine State of western Myanmar. The Kaladan River is called the Chh ...
at Ponnagyun town. China is building a rival Kyaukpyu Special Economic Zone and port south of Sittwe. "India planning to set up SEZ in Myanmar's Sittwe"
''
The Economic Times ''The Economic Times'' is an Indian English-language business-focused daily newspaper. It is owned by The Times Group. ''The Economic Times'' began publication in 1961. As of 2012, it is the world's second-most widely read English-language bus ...
'', 2 August 2016.


Energy


Thathay Chaung Hydropower Project

Thathay Chaung Hydropower Project(TCHP) is an 1800 megawatt, two dam project being built and financed by India on
Chindwin River , , image = Homalin aerial.jpg , image_size = , image_caption = The Chindwin at Homalin. The smaller, meandering Uyu River can be seen joining the Chindwin. , map = Irrawaddyrivermap.jpg , map_size = , map_alt = , map_caption ...
in
Rakhine State Rakhine State (; , , ; formerly known as Arakan State) is a Administrative divisions of Myanmar, state in Myanmar (Burma). Situated on the western coast, it is bordered by Chin State to the north, Magway Region, Bago Region and Ayeyarwady R ...
of Myanmar, a 1,200 megawatt dam at Thamanthi (Manthi) and 600 megawatt dam at Shwejaye. The electricity produced will be supplied to Manipur state of India.


Sittwe–Gaya gas pipeline

There is also to a proposal to build long Sittwe–Aizawl–Silchar–Guwahati–Siliguri–Gaya gas pipeline to transport gas from Sittwe gas field where
ONGC The Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) is a central public sector undertaking under the ownership of Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India. It is headquartered in New Delhi. ONGC was founded on 14 August 1956 by the ...
and
GAIL Gail may refer to: People *Gail (given name), list of notable people with the given name Surname * Jean-Baptiste Gail (1755–1829), French Hellenist scholar * Max Gail (born 1943), American actor * Sophie Gail (1775–1819), French singer and ...
hold 30 percent stake in oil and gas exploration.Alexis Rieffel, 2010
"Myanmar/Burma: Inside Challenges, Outside Interests"
Brookings Institution Press, pp139, .


Highways


Agartala–Feni–Chittagong Highway

Indian has decided to build an INR130 crore (US$20 million) bridge over the
Feni River Feni River ( bn, ফেনী নদী ; ISO: ''Phēnī Nadī'' ) is a river in southeastern Bangladesh and Tripura state of India. It is a trans-boundary river with an ongoing dispute about water rights. The Feni River originates in South Tripu ...
at the
Tripura Tripura (, Bengali: ) is a state in Northeast India. The third-smallest state in the country, it covers ; and the seventh-least populous state with a population of 36.71 lakh ( 3.67 million). It is bordered by Assam and Mizoram to the east a ...
-Bangladesh border to connect the existing NH8
Agartala Agartala () is the capital city of the Indian state of Tripura, and is one of the largest cities in northeast India. The city is governed by the Agartala Municipal Corporation. The city is the seat of the Government of Tripura. It is located on ...
Sabroom Sabroom ( bn, সাব্রুম) is a town and a Nagar Panchayat on South Tripura district in the Indian state of Tripura. It is located on the banks of the Feni River, which separates India and Bangladesh. Most of the people speak Noakhail ...
on Indian side to
Chittagong Chittagong ( /ˈtʃɪt əˌɡɒŋ/ ''chit-uh-gong''; ctg, চিটাং; bn, চিটাগং), officially Chattogram ( bn, চট্টগ্রাম), is the second-largest city in Bangladesh after Dhaka and third largest city in B ...
port in Bangladesh from South Tripura. In February 2017, the project was in tendering stage.


Aizawl–Tuipang National Highway 4-laning

In June 2017, to ensure faster movement of goods between Sittwe and Mizoram capital of Aizawl in the North West which is close to the Barak Valley of Assam, India started an INR6,000-crore upgrade of current 2-lane Aizawl–Tuipang national highway to all-weather four-laning of international standard, the tender will be floated in September and construction contract will be awarded by December 2017 after the ongoing land acquisition is complete. The upgrade of 52-km long road from Tuipang to Myanmar border, from 2-lane to all-weather 4-lane highway, is also included in this long National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) project.New Mizoram–Myanmar 352 Km national highway all set to boost trade and economy in the region
''The North East Today'', 21 August 2017.


India–Myanmar–Thailand Trilateral Highway

The India–Myanmar–Thailand (IMT) Trilateral Highway (Friendship Highway) is a highway under construction that will connect
Moreh Givat HaMoreh (Hebrew: גבעת המוֹרֶה), in Arabic: Jebel ed-Duhy, is a hill in northern Israel on the northeast side of the Jezreel Valley. The highest peak reaches an altitude of , while the bottom of the Jezreel Valley is situated at ...
, India with
Mae Sot Mae Sot ( th, แม่สอด, ; my, မဲဆောက်, ; shn, , ) is a city in western Thailand that shares a border with Myanmar to the west. It is notable as a trade hub and for its substantial population of Burmese migrants and refug ...
, Thailand via
Myanmar Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John C. Wells, Joh ...
. The road is expected to boost trade and commerce in the
ASEAN–India Free Trade Area The ASEAN–India Free Trade Area (AIFTA) is a free trade area among the ten member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Republic of India. The initial framework agreement was signed on 8 October 2003 in Bali, Ind ...
, as well as with the rest of Southeast Asia. India has also proposed extending the highway to Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. The proposed approx route from India to Vietnam is known as the East-West Economic Corridor (EWEC).


Paletwa–Cikha–India Highway

Paletwa–Cikha–India Highway Project is a INR 20 billion (US$315 million) long under construction
Paletwa Paletwa (, ) is one of the westernmost towns of Myanmar, in Chin State 18 kilometres from the border with Bangladesh. Its population in 2014 was about 97,000. Demographics Rakhine is the Lingua Franca of the region, while Kuki-Chin languages a ...
Cikha road highway in
Chin State Chin State (, ) is a state in western Myanmar. The Chin State is bordered by Sagaing Division and Magway Division to the east, Rakhine State to the south, Bangladesh to the south-west, and the Indian states of Mizoram to the west and Manipur t ...
of Myanmar, which will also be connected to the Indian border on two places, Paletwa to NH502
Zochachhuah Zochawchhuah, also spelt Zochachhuah, is a village on the India-Myanmar border in Lawngtlai Block of Lawngtlai district in the state of Mizoram in India. It is located 4 km south of the District headquarters Lawngtlai, 10 km from Hmawngbuchhuah, ...
border village of
Lawngtlai district Lawngtlai district is one of the eleven districts of Mizoram state in India. The district is bounded on the north by Lunglei district, on the west by Bangladesh, on the south by Myanmar and on the east by Saiha district. The district occupies a ...
in south-most Mizoram (main road route of Kaladan Multi-modal Transit Transport project) and at Khenman (Myanmar) to NH102B Behiang border village of
Churachandpur Churachandpur ( Meitei pronunciation: ''/tʃʊraːˌtʃaːnɗpʊr/'') is the district headquarter of the Churachandpur District in the Indian state of Manipur. It is named after the Meitei King Churachand Singh, the Maharaja of Manipur Kingdom. ...
district in southernmost Manipur. On 21 April 2016,
Chin State Chin State (, ) is a state in western Myanmar. The Chin State is bordered by Sagaing Division and Magway Division to the east, Rakhine State to the south, Bangladesh to the south-west, and the Indian states of Mizoram to the west and Manipur t ...
Chief Minister Pu Lian Luai in Myanmar informed that the project is funded by Indian government, which will connect Paletwa in southern Chin state to Cikha (also misspelt as Chikha in Indian media) sub-town in northern Chin state. New roads will also be built to connect the Paletwa-Chikha highway to villages and towns in Chin state.Construction of Chikha to Paletwa Highway a priority
''Mizzima'', April 2016


Zokhawthar–Rihkhawdar–Kalemyo Highway

India–Myanmar Zokhawthar–Rihkhawdar–Kalemyo Highway will provide second connection to the
India–Myanmar–Thailand Trilateral Highway India–Myanmar–Thailand Trilateral Highway (IMT Highway), long route, is a highway under upgrade under India's Look East policy that will connect Moreh, India with Mae Sot, Thailand via Myanmar. Imphal- Mandalay-Bangkok route, consisting of ...
(IMT), between NH102B
Zokhawthar Zokhawthar is a border town in the Champhai district of Mizoram state of India. It is located in the Khawzawl R.D. Block, on the India–Myanmar border, near the Rih Dil lake. Khawmawi village and Rikhawdar on the Myanmar side are the acces ...
Indian border village of
Champhai Champhai (Pron:/tʃamˈpʰaɪ/) is a border town in Mizoram States and territories of India, state, in far eastern India. It is the headquarters of Champhai district, one of the eleven districts in the state. It is located on the Indo-Myanmar b ...
district in east Mizoram to Rihkhawdar border town in Myanmar, connecting it to IMT away at
Kalemyo Kalay ( my, ကလေး), also known as Kale, is a town in the Sagaing Region of Myanmar. It is located upstream from Mandalay and Monywa on the Myittha River, a tributary of the Chindwin River. The town is the district headquarters of the Ka ...
,7,500-crore road network to boost North-East economy
''
The Hindu ''The Hindu'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper owned by The Hindu Group, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It began as a weekly in 1878 and became a daily in 1889. It is one of the Indian newspapers of record and the secon ...
'', 24 February 2017.
where it will connect to the IMT at Kalemyo.


Railway


Bairabi-Sairang-Hmawngbuchhuah railway

Indian Railways Indian Railways (IR) is a statutory body under the ownership of Ministry of Railways, Government of India that operates India's national railway system. It manages the fourth largest national railway system in the world by size, with a tot ...
has already converted to broad gauge the current rail line from
Katakhal Katakhal is a town and railway station in Hailakandi tehsil of Hailakandi district in the Indian state of Assam. The village is named after the Katakhal River which originates in Bhairabi after three other rivers merge. The river ends at Kalinag ...
(Assam) to
Bairabi Bairabi is a census town in Kolasib district in the state of Mizoram, India. It is also the railhead of Mizoram, 117 km from the Capital, Aizawl. Demographics As of the 2011 Census of India, Bairabi had a population of . Males constit ...
inside Mizoram. Its further
Bairabi Sairang Railway Bairabi is a census town in Kolasib district in the state of Mizoram, India. It is also the railhead of Mizoram, 117 km from the Capital, Aizawl. Demographics As of the 2011 Census of India, Bairabi had a population of . Males constit ...
extension from Bairabi to
Sairang Sairang is a census town in Aizawl district in the Indian state of Mizoram. History After the British invasion of 1871-1872, Bengali traders set up the first market place in Mizoram in Changsil on the tlawng river, when the British established c ...
( north of
Aizawl Aizawl (; Mizo: ) is the capital of the state of Mizoram in India. Aizawl was officially established on 25 February 1890. With a population of 293,416, it is the largest city in the state. It is also the centre of administration containing all ...
) in Mizoram is under construction with target completion date of March 2019 as per status update in March 2016. In August 2015, India railway completed a survey for a possible new route extension from Sairang to
Hmawngbuchhuah Hmawngbuchhuah is a village in Lawngtlai Block in Lawngtlai district in the state of Mizoram, India. Location 147 km from State capital Aizawl. It lies on the border between Myanmar and India. It is on the east bank of Sekulh Lui River whi ...
on Mizoram's southern tip on the border of Myanmar, where at nearby
Zochachhuah Zochawchhuah, also spelt Zochachhuah, is a village on the India-Myanmar border in Lawngtlai Block of Lawngtlai district in the state of Mizoram in India. It is located 4 km south of the District headquarters Lawngtlai, 10 km from Hmawngbuchhuah, ...
village the National Highway 502 (part of ''Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project'') enters Myanmar, leaving a possibility open for yet-unplanned future rail connections to Paletwa.


See also

; Nearby major port projects * Sabang strategic port development, India-Indonesia project * Dawei Port Project in Myanmar * India's Look-East Connectivity projects ; Regional projects * India's Look-East Connectivity projects * India's Northeast Connectivity projects * BIMSTEC projects * Mekong-Ganga Cooperation *
India–Myanmar–Thailand Trilateral Highway India–Myanmar–Thailand Trilateral Highway (IMT Highway), long route, is a highway under upgrade under India's Look East policy that will connect Moreh, India with Mae Sot, Thailand via Myanmar. Imphal- Mandalay-Bangkok route, consisting of ...
* Asian Highway Network * India–Myanmar barrier


References


External links


Detailed report on Kaladan Project: Project Description with Analysis of Positive and Negative Impact


{{coord missing, Mizoram Proposed transport infrastructure in India Proposed transport infrastructure in Myanmar Buildings and structures in Mizoram Buildings and structures in Rakhine State Sittwe Transport in Mizoram