‘Kaladan project to be ready by 2027’

Guwahati: Union Shipping minister Sarbananda Sonowal has said the ambitious Kaladan project between India and Myanmar, aimed at reducing the Northeast’s distance from the rest of the country, will be operational by 2027.

Addressing a press conference here, Sonowal recently said the distance between Aizawl and Kolkata will be shortened by 700 km once the project is ready.

“The Sittwe port (in Myanmar) is ready. Now, work is going on to develop the road connectivity to Aizawl from Myanmar. The entire Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport Project will be operational by 2027,” he said.

Sonowal said his ministry is investing Rs 1,000 crore in developing the waterways of the project, while other agencies are taking care of the rest.

He said the Northeastern region will play a critical role in reviving the economic prosperity of India.

“PM Narendra Modi said that transformation should be done through transportation. As per his direction, we want to develop Northeast as the business hub of South Asia. For that, waterways will play a crucial role,” he said.

The Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport Project (KMTTP) was jointly identified by the two countries 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 Northeast, through the Southeast Asian country.

Sonowal said that the Minister of External Affairs is the nodal agency for the KMTTP, which is being developed as a friendship project between India and Myanmar.

“The Sittwe port was inaugurated in 2023 and I received a 2,000 MT cargo ship from Kolkata, marking the full operational capability of the port. Once the entire KMTTP will be commissioned, the 1,800 km road distance between Aizawl and Kolkata will be shortened by 700 km,” he said.