Apart from focusing on the energy and food crises, the 15th SAARC summit on August 2-3 in Sri Lankan capital Colombo will discuss a SAARC Regional Multimodal Transport Study (SRMTS) and try to work out a way to implement it to integrate South Asia and foster more trade among member countries at a faster pace.
Transport integration in South Asia will end the landlocked status of Nepal, Bhutan and North East India and strengthen their connectivity to island nations in the region. "Transport network in the region is fragmented though basic infrastructure exists in some countries," said Dr Pushkar Bajracharya, consultant for Asian Development Bank's (ADB) first study of SRMTS.
"There are various bottlenecks," he said, but added that the problems could be solved unitedly. He said better connectivity would boost Nepal's exports and open up markets in more countries. The SRMTS has suggested Nepal build four regional-level roads and two railway lines to link it to its other South Asian neighbours.
"Major corridors for surface, air and multimodal transport have been identified. Key points identified are Birgunj, Biratnagar and Bhairahawa. India has also promised to develop some border points. However, progress is slow as there are problems at the operational level," said Dr Bajracharya.
Connectivity will help boost cooperation in trade, energy and tourism sectors in the region leading to all-round poverty reduction. ADB funded the study in 2006 under Regional Technical Assistance (RETA) and has shown willingness to fund the projects implementations that are identified. It has suggested air, rail, road and sea route connectivity.
"Nepal should upgrade Tribhuwan International Airport (TIA) and Bhairahawa Airport," states the report. Road network could be Nepal's key to access to sea ports in South Asia. The study has identified 18 road networks, including 14 currently operational roads.
The 1323-km Kathmandu-Birgunj-Kolkata-Haldia road that can help Nepal develop Birgunj as a dry port has been proposed. A 1394-km Kathmandu-Kakarvitta-Phulbari-Mangola-Chittagong road to access Mangola and Chittagong ports in Bangladesh is also recommended.
An Inter-Government Group on Iransport (IGGoT) at the level of relevant secretaries of SAARC member countries is involved in implementation of prioritised recommendations of SRMTS.
The second meeting of IGGoT held in August 2007 identified a number of pilot, regional and sub-pilot regional projects that were endorsed in the first meeting of SAARC Transport Ministers then. Nepal is pushing for their early implementation according top priority.
A number of initiatives were taken since the first meeting but Nepal has not benefitted till date. Consultants hired by ADB also provided technical inputs, with a number of models and choices for drafting regional transport and transit agreements. These were tabled during the ministerial meetings last year.
The second study of ADB proposed two railway lines for multimodal transport projects:
1. Pilot project — Birgunj-Katihar-Singhabad-Rohanpur-Chittagong, with links to Jogbani, Biratnagar and Agartala.
2. Sub-regional / regional project — Kathmandu- Birgunj-Kolkata/Haldia.
Other routes, according to ADB report, are the Kathmandu-Nepalgunj-New Delhi-Wagha-Lahore-Karachi road for better connectivity between Nepal and Pakistan, and another road connecting Kathmandu to Lucknow. It has also proposed a fast track road between Kathmandu and Birgunj.
Exporters feel a major reason for Nepal's falling exports is poor surface connectivity and that the sooner Nepali goods get to sea ports in any of the South Asian countries the better will it be for Nepal's trade. According to Dr Bajracharya, "The barriers are not so daunting. What is required is strong political will."
India has recently drafted a Regional Motor Vehicle Agreement and a Railways Agreement and circulated these for comments from member countries also. The 15th SAARC meeting will discuss these drafts too.
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