Robin Kalita
IRTS (Retd)
Transport connectivity as a parameter for economic development
A major component of connectivity is transportation. An efficient transport system offering cost, time, and reliability advantages enables goods & passengers to be transported over long distances. This facilitates mass production through economies of scale because larger markets can be accessed. Transport, by assumed role, is an important part of material production shaping the other sectors of the world economy, mainly international trade. At the macroeconomic level (the importance of transportation for a whole economy), transportation and the mobility it confers are linked to a level of output, employment, and income within a national economy. At the microeconomic level (the importance of transportation for specific parts of the economy), transportation is linked to producer, consumer, and production costs.
An overview
Development of connectivity through rail, road, air, and water is a prerequisite for development of infrastructure, trade, and commerce in the North East Region (NER) of India. NER is the Gateway to the Far East. Connectivity with ASEAN countries is the key to the development of the Northeast Region. NER is an extended arm of the mainland connected through the Chicken's Neck corridor via Siliguri in West Bengal. With more than 4,500 km of international border shared with countries like Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, and Myanmar, NER is strategically and economically important. It needs strong and robust transportation networks that help forge strong trade and human linkages with our neighbours.
Act East Policy
Objectives of the "Act East Policy" are:
m To promote economic cooperation and cultural ties and develop strategic relationships with countries in the Asia?Pacific region
m Continuous engagement at bilateral, regional, and multilateral levels, thereby providing enhanced connectivity to the States of the Northeastern Region
m To provide an interface between Northeast India and the ASEAN region
m Closer cooperation in combating terrorism, collaborating for peace and stability in the region, and promotingmaritime security based on international norms and laws
Strategy for Connectivity of the Northeastern Region
1. For connectivity within the states of NER: we need to develop transport infrastructure.
2. For Connectivity among the states of NER: A master plan is needed for linking all the Northeastern states with a network of rail, road, water, and airways.
3. For Connectivity of NER with the Neighbouring Countries of ASEAN: We have to develop rail, road, water, and air links with these countries through international border protocol.
Connectivity to ASEAN Necessitates:
m Strengthening the old river navigation routes to Bangladesh, the main transport links in undivided eastern India
m Completion of the 160 km Tamu-Kalewa-Kalemyo sector of the Trilateral Highway that will link India and Myanmar
m Pursuing the Mekong-India Economic Corridor (MIEC) project, which will provide India access to Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam
m Establishing the BCIM economic corridor linking Kolkata in India to Kunming in Yunnan province of China
m Expediting the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project (KMTTP), between India and Myanmar
Water Transport
Inland Water Transport
Among all the Northeastern states, inland water transport is prominent in Assam: Assam has the largest inland waterways network in India. The Directorate of Inland Waterway Transport Assam (DIWTA), which was established in 1958, is the nodal agency for developing, maintaining, and regulating IWT services in the state. Assam's navigable inland waterways extend to 1,983 km out of India's total 14,544 km, comprising 44 rivers. Among them, the prominent waterways are NW 2, the Brahmaputra River, and NW 16, the Barak River. At present there are 104 designated ferry services operated under IWT, Assam.
National Waterways in the Northeast
National Waterway - 2 (Brahmaputra River)
Sadiya-Dhubri stretch of the Brahmaputra River was declared as the National Waterway no. 2 in 1988 vide the National Waterway Act. From Sadiya to Dhubri, the waterway extends for a distance of 891 km. The Brahmaputra flows down the centre of the Assam Valley. It has a number of tributaries like Subansiri, Jia Bhoroli, Dihing, Burhi Dihing, Disang, Dhansiri, and Kopili. Brahmaputra, along with its tributaries leading up to the ports of Kolkata and Haldia, is an important traditional IWT route. Important river ports/commercial centres along the riverbanks of NW-2 are Dhubri, Jogighopa, Pandu/Guwahati, Tezpur, Neamati, Dibrugarh, Sadiya, and Saikhowa. Pandu/Guwahati is the most important river port on NW-2. The stretch downstream from Pandu up to the Bangladesh border (260 km) is the stretch where IWT operations are presently most active.
National Waterway -16 (Barak River)
The Lakhipur-Bhanga stretch of the Barak River was declared as the National Waterway no. 16 vide the National Waterway Act 1988. From Lakhipur to Bhanga, the waterway extends for a distance of 121 km. It originates in the Manipur hills and enters the plains near Lakhipur. Downstream of Silchar town and before entering Bangladesh, the Barak bifurcates into the Surma River and the Kushiyara River. The principal tributaries of the Barak in India are Jiri, Dhaleshwari, Singla, Longai, Sonai, and Katakhal.
Out of the 111 declared National Waterways (NWs) in India, 20 NWs lie in the Northeast region. Out of these, 15 NWs lie in Assam.
International Water Transport
The Brahmaputra and Barak rivers provide the facility of an international transportation link with Bangladesh. An Inland Water Transit and Trade protocol exists between India and Bangladesh. The protocol routes are
Kolkata-Pandu-Kolkata Rajshahi-Dhulian-Rajshahi
Kolkata-Karimganj-Kolkata-Pandu-Karimganj-Pandu
For inter-country trade, designated ports of call are Haldia, Kolkata, Pandu & Karimganj in India and Narayanganj, Khulna, Mongla & Sirajganj in Bangladesh. The distance from Dhubri to Kolkata on the protocol route via Bangladesh is 1310 km.
Rail Connectivity in NER
Major tasks in hand for the Railways:
m Converting the entire rail network in NER to BG:
The MG line to Guwahati, the capital of Assam, which was already connected shortly after independence, was converted to BG in 1984. With 940 km of MG converted into BG during 2014?17, the entire Northeast region has been converted to BG.
m Providing BG connectivity to capital cities of all 8 states of the region:
Naharlagun, in the vicinity of Itanagar, the capital of Arunachal Pradesh, was brought into the railway map in 2015.
Agartala, the capital of Tripura, had an MG link, which was converted to BG in 2016.
The railway line in Mizoram has been extended from Bairabi to Sairong.
Works on providing BG connectivity to capital towns of Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland, and Meghalaya are in different stages of execution for the electrification of all main line routes of NF Railway.
oElectrification of the Main Line has been completed up to Tinsukia:
The Rajdhani Express to New Delhi has already started running on electric traction.
m Providing faster connectivity from NER to the rest of the country by extending the doubling of the railway line to Tinsukia
m Working out long-term strategic requirements of the railway network and laying a road map for the same
m Carry out projects for international connectivity, particularly to Myanmar and Bangladesh.
m National Projects sanctioned for BG rail links to states of NER:
1. Jiribam-Imphal-110.625 km… Manipur
2.Byrnihat-Shillong-108.40km...Meghalaya
3. Dhansiri-Zubza-91.75 km… Nagaland
4. Bairabi-Sairang-51.38 km...Mizoram
5. Sivok-Rangpo-44.96km... W. Bengal & Sikkim
6. Tetelia-Byrnihat-21.50 km...Assam & Meghalaya
Strategic Links in Assam & Arunachal Pradesh:
1. Misamari (Bhalukpong) - Tenga - Tawang 378 km
2. N. Lakhimpur-Bame (Along)-Silapathar 248 km
3. Pasighat-Tezu-Parasuramkund-Rupai 227 km
Total 853 km-Assam: 58 km, Arunachal Pradesh: 795 km
Rail Connectivity to Bangladesh & Bhutan
1. Agartala (India)-Akhaura (Bangladesh)
15 km new line project (sanctioned): 5 km in India 10 km in Bangladesh
2. Radhikapur (India)?Birol (Bangladesh): Restoration work (completed)
3. Haldibari (India)-Chilahati (Bangladesh): Restoration in Indian portion (completed) Feasibility studies were done for extending rail links from India to 5 locations in Bhutan:
i) Kokrajhar to Gelephu, ii) Pathsala to Nanglam, iii) Rangiya to Samdrupjonkhar, iv) Banarhat to Samtse, v) Hasimara to Phuntsholing
Trans-Asian Railway
India signed the Inter-Governmental Agreement on Trans-Asian Railway (TAR) on 29 June, 2007. The Southern Corridor TAR is from Kunming (China) and Bangkok (Thailand) to Kapikule (Bulgaria)-11462 km. It will pass through China, Thailand, Myanmar, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Iran, and Turkey. Eastern TAR will enter India at Tamu (Myanmar)-Moreh (India) and enter Bangladesh at Shahbazpur (Bangladesh)-Gede (India). India will connect the missing link between Jiribam-Moreh-Tamu (Myanmar).
Jiribam-Imphal is already under construction.
Roadways
Road Connectivity in NER
Objectives:
m Upgrade National Highways to 2 and 4 lanes
m Connect all District HQs by 2-lane roads
m Connect all backward & remote areas of the Northeast
m Upgrade roads of strategic importance
m Develop connectivity to neighbouring countries and upgrade existing roads
National Highways in NER
98% of the border of NER is surrounded by international boundaries. Therefore, the development of international and national highways is paramount in the region.
99% of cargo movement from & to NER is by rail & road, and 1% is by waterways and airways.
The Government of India decided to fast-pace construction of National Highways in NER through the SARDP-NE and National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation (NHIDCL). 98% of the border of NER is surrounded by international boundaries. Therefore, the development of international and national highways is paramount in the region.
Connectivity of NER with the rest of the country through the Chicken-neck (Siliguri corridor) is a major constraint. Thus the transforming of NER into a Natural Economic Zone assumes importance.
State-wise length of National Highways:
Arunachal Pradesh: 1987 km (232 km under China); Assam: 3068 km; Manipur: 1317 km; Meghalaya: 1171 km; Mizoram: 1027 km; Nagaland: 494 km; Sikkim: 149 km; and Tripura: 400 km. Total: 9613 km.
Trans-Asian Highway
The Asian Highway is a network of 141000 km of standardised roadways crisscrossing 32 Asian countries and connecting to Europe. The TAH project was initiated in 1959 with the aim of developing international transport in the region. The first phase in 1960-70 saw good progress; in 1975 it stopped for want of funds; in the 1980s & 1990s it picked up and became a part of the Asian Land Transport Infrastructure Development project.
The IntergovernmentalAgreement was signed in 2004.
Route AH1 is proposed from Tokyo to Bulgaria, Korea, China, and countries in Southeast, Central & South Asia. It will improve trade links between East Asian countries, India, and Russia. $26 billion has already been spent. UNESCAP is garnering more funds for the project.
Aviation Sector
Air Connectivity in NER
11 airports are operational under the Airports Authority of India (AAI) in NER: Guwahati, Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Lakhimpur, Silchar, Tezpur, Agartala, Imphal, Dimapur, Shillong, and Aizawl. Modernisation of air navigation infrastructure for seamless operation across state and regional boundaries is in progress.
Air transport authorities are engaged in the transition to satellite-based communication, navigation, surveillance, and air traffic management in NER. Old radars are being replaced with state-of-the-art radar systems.
Modernization of Airport Terminals:
Guwahati, with 4,668,053 passengers in 2017-18, was the 8th busiest in India. Construction of a new 90000 sqm Integrated Terminal Building with capacity to handle 2900 passengers, which was sanctioned at a cost of Rs 1252 cr, is currently underway.
The Central Govt needs to invest Rs 3500 cr for improvement of airports in NER. Imphal, Agartala, Jorhat & Silchar airports are to be modernised on priority. Terminals are being developed for international traffic. Cargo handling facilities are also being developed in NER.
Multimodal Logistic Parks
Integrated Transport Multimodal Logistic Parks Development of MMLP-railway sidings, CFS, warehousing, truck terminals, port terminals, cargo aggregation, non-cargo processing, common-user facilities, support infrastructure, and equipment
Jogighopa has to be developed as India's gateway to Southeast Asia and the Northeast with the development of an MMLP encompassing rail, road, air, and water transport facilities. The estimated cost of the first phase of the project is Rs 693.97 crore. This is the first of the 35 MMLPs being set up in the country by the Government of India under the Bharatmala Pariyojana.
The government of Assam has floated the Assam Logistics Policy to promote logistics parks for ease of connectivity.
Issues of Concern
The emphasis laid on the "Act East Policy" has rightly prompted the Government of India to increase budget allocation to the Northeast almost 3-fold, from Rs 36 thousand crore in 2014-15 to Rs 1 lakh crore in 2024-25. Accordingly, construction of 10000 km of roads, 8 new airports, and 800 km of railway lines was taken up. Sustained communication with ASEAN nations in matters of road and riverine connectivity has helped in these projects. However, the recent disturbances in Myanmar and Bangladesh have created stumbling blocks in their smooth progress. The 160 km road connecting Myanmar from Imphal through Moreh, the railway line connecting Agartala to Akhaura in Bangladesh, and the crucial Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport project to connect Mizoram to Sittwe port in Myanmar have run into rough weather. The 69 km long new railway line project from Kokrajhar to Gelephu in Bhutan, which is peaceful, needs to be taken up in right earnest.
Conclusion
The fact that connectivity is one of the strongest parameters for economic growth is well established. This is the age of multi-modalism in the field of transportation. A holistic approach is required to achieve logistic ends through the means of the transportation matrix.
Connectivity in the Northeast is not just important for the development of the economy, but it is the key to the transformation of the lives of the people of the region.