|
Moving forward on at least one of the issues agreed to at the last SAARC summit in New Delhi, in April 2007, transport and communications secretaries of SAARC member countries meeting in New Delhi on August 30, 2007, finalised a ‘status paper' on a multi-mode regional transport corridor to make the movement of goods easier between the eight-nation grouping.
The paper will be presented for political approval at the ministerial meeting to be held in New Delhi on August 31, 2007.
The transport project will involve building railroads, roads, inland waterways and maritime and aviation gateways to connect the South Asian countries.
The idea of the multi-mode transport corridor was put forward by Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh at the April summit, and found instant favour amongst member countries. The SAARC Secretariat then commissioned a consultant to prepare a detailed feasibility study, which was discussed by an expert panel and later at the secretary-level talks.
The study suggested building a network of 6,540 km railroad and 11,844 km road corridors. Ten ports, two inland waterways running into 2,757 km, and 16 airports are also part of the construction plan, together with 10 regional roads and five rail corridors.
According to a report in the Pakistani newspaper Daily Times, the study recommended immediate construction of over 2,000 km of highways from Lahore to Agartala, as the first leg of the project. The road will pass through Delhi, Kolkata and Dhaka. It also recommended a bilateral agreement between India and Bangladesh for the movement of vehicles and goods across the border.
The second corridor is to run from Kathmandu to Kolkata/Haldia (1,323 km), passing through Birgunj. The plan stresses immediate upgrade of the 180 km road passing through Bihar and the construction of a fast-track road between Kathmandu and Birgunj, where a freight station is planned.
The 1,039 km network from Thimpu to Kolkata/Haldia passing through the Phuentsholing ( Bhutan )/Jaigon (India) border has been identified, to enhance customs clearance and other physical facilities.
Other corridors include the 1,362 km Kathmandu-Mongla/Chittagong road, the 906 km Samdrup-Jongkhar-Kolkata road, and the 227 km Agartala-Akhaura-Chittagong road.
In an effort to connect Nepal with Pakistan, enhancement of the 2,643 km Kathmandu-Nepalganj-New Delhi-Lahore-Karachi road has been worked out, while other networks are the 966 km Thimpu-Chittagong road and the 663 km Kathmandu-Lucknow road.
August 31, 2007
|
