Present situation in Myanmar is hampering phase II work of Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport project: Centre

The Centre expects that the second phase of the project in which the waterway and road components of KMTTP will link the East coast of India to the North-eastern states through the Sittwe port need to be completed as early as possible.

New Delhi: The Centre has admitted that the current situation in Myanmar has been hampering the phase II work of the much-hyped Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport Project (KMTTP). “Once the geo-political situation improves, work will resume for the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport project. The current geopolitical situation has been hampering the work of the project,” told secretary for Ports Shipping and Waterways TK Ramachandran to this correspondent in New Delhi.

Being aware of the fact that Kaladan project has already seen many delays in the implementation of the first phase and revised deadlines, the Centre has suggested to the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to ensure second phase of the project in which the waterway and road components of KMTTP will link the East Coast of India to the North-eastern states through the Sittwe port need to be completed as early as possible.

The second phase of the project also includes highway and road transport from Mizoram to Paletwa (Myanmar), thereafter from Paletwa to Sittwe (Myanmar) by Inland Water Transport (IWT) and from Sittwe to any port in India by maritime shipping. Another official from the Shipping Ministry said that the stretch of the area where the road needs to be constructed (under phase II) is challenging as it is an area that often sees a conflict between the military Junta and the ethnic rebel groups. This stretch of road is in Chin state parallel to Kalandan river. The Kaladan Multimodal Transit project is one of the important components of the Centre’s Act East Policy.

Minister for Ports Shipping & Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal, in May, had inaugurated the Sittwe port, the waterways component of the mega project under phase I, which connects Kolkata with Myanmar over the Kaladan river. The inaugural run of a cargo vessel with 1000T cement from Kolkata to Sittwe Port in Myanmar was completed and the Sittwe port was inaugurated on May 9 this year.

Earlier, 2023 was set as the deadline for completion of the KMTTP project. The project is being implemented to provide an alternate connectivity to the North East through the Kaladan River and Sittwe Port in Myanmar. The project includes road connectivity from Mizoram to Paletwa (Myanmar), waterway connectivity from Paletwa to Sittwe (Myanmar) and coastal connectivity from Sittwe to any port in India and vice versa.

IWAI is the Project Development Consultant (PDC) of the MEA for the implementation of Port and IWT components of the Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport Project in Myanmar. The project is piloted and funded by the MEA. The project was first proposed by MEA in 2008 and work began in 2010 with an initial estimate of Rs 535 crore. Earlier, 2014 was the deadline for the project. The costs subsequently escalate up to Rs 3,200 crore.