With the departure of the MV-ITT LION (V-273)'s initial consignment, India has started the Sittwe Port's operationalization. Cargo operations between Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port in Kolkata and the Sittwe Port in Rakhine state of Myanmar started.

The ship - MV-ITT LION (V-273) - was flagged off on Thursday by Union Minister of State for Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Shantanu Thakur. The ship carrying 20,000 bags containing 1,000 metric tonnes of cement will reach Sittwe Port on May 9.

The port was established as part of a framework agreement between India and Myanmar for the building and management of a multimodal transit transport facility on the Kaladan River. The port was built with grant support from the Indian government.

 “The port will open up new opportunities for trade and transit from and to Myanmar, particularly the Rakhine state, and further enhance trade and commerce between the two countries and the wider region," the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways said in a statement.

The port in Myanmar’s Rakhine will offer an alternative transport channel to India’s Siliguri corridor, referred to as the Chicken’s Neck. It is a critical channel that connects the northeastern states via Myanmar. The port connects to Paletwa in Myanmar through an inland waterway and from Paletwa to Zorinpui in Mizoram through a road component.

From a connectivity point of view, especially the challenges encountered by northeastern states, alternate channels are being developed to improve the movement of goods to the region and the overall connectivity. The cost of the Kaladan assignment is estimated to be approximately $500 million, while the port cost is around $120 million.

Image source: PIB