Myanmar land issues come in way of Rs 11.77-billion friendship highway

The proposed 1400-km long highway would connect Moreh in Manipur to Mae Sot in Thailand via Myanmar

Trilateral highway connectivity between India, Myanmar, and Thailand has hit a roadblock. Land acquisition hurdles in Myanmar are coming in the way of the project.

The 1,400-km proposed highway, which will connect Moreh in Manipur and Mae Sot in Thailand, has a budget of Rs 11.77 billion.

The external affairs ministry is responsible for the execution of the project, which is being implemented by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). Once completed, it will be India's gateway to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) countries.

Punj Lloyd, in a joint venture with Varaha Infra, bagged the contract for upgrading the 120-km Yagyi-Kalewa section in Myanmar to a two-lane and 237 realignments from the NHAI for Rs 11.77 billion.

The first 160-km stretch is called the India-Myanmar Friendship Highway. Ircon Infrastructure & Services, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ircon International under the Ministry of Railways, has been engaged by the Ministry of External Affairs and the Myanmar government for the projects.

A senior official said, “Myanmar is going slow on the project as it has bigger political issues to deal with. The project is not on their priority list.” Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways Nitin Gadkari recently met Myanmar Minister for Communication and Transport U Thant Sin Maung.

They discussed the status of the project, starting an Imphal-Mandalay bus service, and a bilateral motor vehicles agreement. The NHAI has informed the minister that the project is running on time and they hope to complete it before December 2019.

The two countries have operationalised the Land Border Crossing Agreement, which allows a citizen from the countries to cross over without requiring special permission. The road construction project includes work on a 120-km section that will go through a rocky terrain and cross several bridges.

There would be provisions for 20 bus bays, a passenger shelter, and a rest area for travellers. 

“Some of the bridges will undergo some reconstruction as they are old,” the official added.

Road Map

• 1,400 km: Length of the highway that will connect Moreh in Manipur to Mae Sot in Thailand
• Rs 11.77 bn: Budget for the project
• December 2019: Deadline for the project to be completed
• The external affairs ministry is responsible for the execution of the project, which is being implemented by the National Highways Authority of India