The Kaladan Multi Modal Transit Transport (KMMTT) project is being surveyed by the Chin National Party (CNP) to assess the negative impact on the lives of local people. The project is being sponsored to the tune of $120 million USD by the Indian Government.
In April 2008, India and Myanmar signed an agreement on the US$110 million Kaladan multi-modal transit-cum-transport project, which would connect India’s land-locked Northeast with the southern coast of Myanmar. The project will be entirely funded by India and the Inland Waterways Authority of India has been appointed as project development consultant. The project envisages an upgrade of the port at Sittwe on the southwestern coast of Myanmar and development of a 225km-long waterway between the port of Sittwe and Setpyitpyin (Kaletwa) in Myanmar along the Kaladan, which flows from Mizoram. Given the non-navigability of the river from Setpyitpyin, the project also involves construction of a 62km road network from Setpyitpyin to Lawngtlai (a district in southwestern Mizoram), where the road will merge with the National Highway 54. The project activities are expected to be completed by 2011-2012.
The suffering of local people will be monitored by a CNP survey group led by Mr. Zozam, the party President, according to Mr. Ceu Bik Thawng, General Secretary, who is accompanying the survey group. The CNP survey group left for Sittwe, the capital of Rakhine state, Burma on 5 February.
“We will be listening to the people’s voice. We will collect facts from people who are losing their land, jobs and facing depredation because of the KMMTT project, Mr. Thawng said.
The survey group will travel to Sittwe, Kyauktaw Town, in Rakhine State and Paletwa Town and Sinletwa Village, in Chin State. Then, the group will leave for Rangoon, the former capital of Burma, on February 11th.
The road construction by Max (Myanmar) Company, from Paletwa to Mizoram border, has led to destruction of some houses in Auh-te Ma-wa Village, of Paletwa Township, and water drainage from over 70 acres. Village paddy fields are also filled with road construction soil, so farmers are facing problems.
A suggestion letter on KMMTT was issued jointly by the Rakhine Nationalities Development Party and the Chin National Party to the India and the Burmese governments on February 4th. The letter requested both sides make local residents aware of the details of the projects before they begin.
The project will be constructed by the Eassar Company of India and will be completed in 2013.
