Some Ideas float, some ideas are neglected, Some Ideas are laughed but some will become reality. I wrote in Editorial in Korea Herald in 2000 about Asian Union and Common Currency. There I thought and talked about linking Asian nations first... now this story of Linking nations have become reality where from Bangalore to Korea to Russia to Europe one can go by Land Route. Asian Highway 1 connects India with Burma to Thailand to North Korea to Russia to Europe..... India, ADB and other countries are committed and the work has began..... Asian Highway 1: India to Thailand, ADB would support the Project India to Thailand by road? It could be a reality soon. In what would reduce the cost and time spent on transportation of goods from India to some Southeast Asian countries, a land route is being planned, from Uttar Pradesh India to Thailand. The proposed Asian Highway 1, a first of its kind, is likely to be supported by the Asian Development Bank and the governments concerned. It will connect India to three other countries — Myanmar, Laos and Thailand — through a transborder road network. Anil Wadhwa, Indian ambassador to Thailand, said, "The trilateral highway between Thailand-India-Myanmar will be a game changer for our northeast region as well as for the other two countries. Movement of freight through containers along the highway will cut down the time taken for supplies to the northeast and vice versa by a number of days." India is one of the only two dialogue partners of Asean that shares land and maritime boundaries with the Asean countries. Connectivity within Asean in all its dimensions — physical, institutional and people-to-people — is a strategic priority for India. According to a senior government official, there are three proposals for land connectivity which are also under consideration — India-Myanmar-Thailand Highway (this also constitutes the proposed Asian Highway network AH 1 within Myanmar), its extension to Laos and Cambodia and t he development of a new highway linking Vietnam. Once the highway becomes operational, the cost and time taken for transportation of goods would be reduced by around a third. "The trilateral highway, which is to be completed and launched by 2016, is expected to generate employment commerce and people-to-people contacts creating a win-win situation for all three countries," said officials in the MEA. The Asian highway will be connecting UP, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Manipur in the Indian territory and then it will be extended to Myanmar followed by Laos and Thailand. Over thousands of kilometers in length, the ministry of roads, transport and highways is currently studying the alignment of the proposed highway. The route initially suggested for the proposed Trilateral Highway was Moreh (India)- Tamu- Kalewa-Chaungma- Yinmabin- Pale- Kyadet- Lingadaw- Pakokku- Bagan- Kyaukpadaung- Meiktila bypass- Taungoo- Oktwin- Payagyi- Theinzayat- Thaton- Hpaan Kawareik- Myawaddy- Mae Sot (Thailand). This route is now to pass through Mandalay (Tamu-Kalewa-Yargyi-Chaungma-Monywa-Mandalay) rather than Bagan, given that the Mandalay-Yangon section has already been constructed. However, the cost of the highway still remains to be estimated. ADB has already been supporting road connectivity from northeast India to Myanmar and they are looking at funding the 370-km road from Silchar in Assam through Imphal to Moreh in Manipur, to connect further to the Trilateral Highway. The road up to Silchar, as part of the east-west corridor, is being done under the National Highway Development Project. The ADB-funded project from Silchar-Moreh is likely to be implemented in 2015 and would be completed by 2018. According to the Indian envoy, "India is keen to develop the trilateral highway and to link up with Asean countries by road for a variety of reasons: most importantly, the opportunities it will create in all our bordering states with Myanmar and the access it will provide to our people in neighbouring countries of Asean." The proposal of trilateral highway was agreed in 2002 and ministers met in 2003 and it was visualised as a highway of opportunity and friendship that would facilitate not just the movement of goods and services, but also of people and ideas. The meeting of the joint task force on the trilateral highway was held in New Delhi in September 2012, where the participants agreed to make efforts to complete the project by 2016 so as to have seamless connectivity between Moreh in India to Mae Sot in Thailand. The next meeting of the joint task force is scheduled to be held in Bangkok later this year. Courtsey: Ft
Posted on: Tue, 08 Oct 2013 04:27:20 +0000
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