New Delhi: The Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways and Ayush, Sarbananda Sonowal will be receiving the first Indian cargo ship at Sittwe Port in Myanmar on May 9.The ceremony is likely to inaugurate regular transit of cargo ships between Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port in Kolkata, India to Sittwe Port in Rakhine state of Myanmar, heralding a new age of transportation between the two countries.

The route is likely to unlock tremendous economic potential for the entire Bay of Bengal peninsula, allowing a bridge between South Asia and South East Asia regions, informed Shri Sonowal, while addressing media persons in Dibrugarh, Assam today.

Speaking on the occasion Sonowal said that under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Northeast India remains at the forefront of India’s developmental agenda. As we stand on this historic threshold, when the landlocked Northeast India will finally have a much shorter access to the International Sea Route, it would not have been possible without the visionary proposition of ‘Act East’ by Narendra Modi. Due to Prime Minister’s commitment to the progress and prosperity of the Northeast region, they have been able to spearhead with speedy execution of the Sittwe port in Myanmar, with an aim to boosting the trade prospect of Northeast India in the ensuing years.

Apart from the Northeast India, this port will also unlock huge commercial potential for Bangladesh, Bhutan and even Nepal - apart from India and Myanmar - by acting as a bridge with the South East Asia. This is the true reflection of implementation of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ philosophy of PM Modi

Sittwe port development is part of the Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport Project (KMTTP). Once operationalised, the Sittwe port will enable multi modal transit connectivity with the South East Asia. Sittwe Port has been developed under a framework agreement between India and Myanmar for the construction and operation of a Multimodal Transit Transport Facility on Kaladan river connecting the Sittwe port in Myanmar with the state of Mizoram in India.

The Sittwe port connects to Paletwa in Myanmar through an inland waterway and from Paletwa to Zorinpui in Mizoram through a road component.

From Sittwe, Myanmar to Sarboom, Tripura: Goods from Kolkata to Sittwe Port can be shipped to Teknaf Port, Bangladesh which is just 60 nautical miles of Sittwe. From Teknaf Port goods can be transported by road to Sabroom which is 300 kms away. Sabroom has an Integrated customs border between Bangladesh and Tripura. Sittwe port and Kaladan Project will immensely benefit Tripura by way of significant reduction in transportation time and logistics cost.

Sonowal also said that once fully operationalised, Kaladaan Multi Modal Transport TP will provide alternate connectivity from Eastern coast of India to the North-eastern states through the Sittwe port. This is a far more feasible route for the trade and commerce of Northeast India, than the existing route via Siliguri to Kolkata, saving time, money and excelling efficiency.

Cost of transportation of goods from Kolkata to Aizwal was see drop of more than 50 percent in cost and time when the cargo is sent from Kolkata to Sittwe onto Palletwa and after that via road to Aizwal and the whole of Northeast India. Similarly, goods from Kolkata to Agartala will incur much lesser cost and time via this route.

While the length of road from Kolkata to Agartala is around 1600 kilometers and takes 4 days via roadways, the Sittwe to Chittagong to Sarboom to Agartala will be done in 2 days, saving cost and time. In addition to reduction of traffic on the road, the use of marine transport will considerably bring down environmental cost of transport with drop in fossil fuel carbon emission. This is a wonderful thing which will not only help us economically but also environmentally.

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