Kaladan Multi Modal Transit Transport Project

• The Prime Minister has hailed the inaugural run of vessel from Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port to Sittwe Port Myanmar developed under Kaladan Multi Modal Transit Transport Project.

About the 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.