In northeastern India, which is often referred to as an “unexplored region” or “land-locked island,” a total of over 750 km of roads are being developed to improve connectivity between regions and promote social development. The construction of these roads will not only facilitate travel within India, but also strengthen economic ties with neighboring countries such as neighboring Bangladesh. The northeastern region of India, with its magnificent nature and diversity of ethnic groups and cultures, is also an important gateway for India to connect India and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) by land. We interviewed Mr. Mitsunori Saito, Director of JICA’s India Office, about the characteristics of the region and the current state of infrastructure development.
Meghalaya, Northeast India
Northeastern India, a region of magnificent natural beauty and rich cultural diversity
Located on the eastern edge of India and comprising eight states, the northeastern region is mostly mountainous and hilly, with people living in towns and farming villages nestled between valleys several hundred meters high and mountains several thousand meters high. Bordering countries such as Myanmar, Bhutan, and Bangladesh, the region is rich in cultural diversity, including language and religion, due to the various ethnic groups that live there.
In terms of religion, for example, Hindus and Muslims make up 82% and 12% of the Indian population, respectively, while in the northeastern states of Mizoram and Nagaland, Christians make up nearly 90% of the state’s population. Many of the people’s facial features are similar to those of Japanese and other East Asians, giving the region a different aspect from the other states in India.
The northeastern region of India is rich in diversity and shows different faces in different regions.
Manipur borders Myanmar
Nagaland is home to various ethnic minorities. The entire state is mountainous, with large towns located on mountain ridges.
On the other hand, however, the geographical situation of this mountainous region, which is connected to the rest of India by a long, narrow territory only about 20 km wide, as mentioned above, makes it difficult for people and goods to move around, and infrastructure and other development has not been fully implemented.
In the area of road infrastructure, the development of road infrastructure is lagging behind due to the technical and financial difficulties involved in reinforcing mountain slopes and building drainage channels to prevent landslide disasters in mountainous areas. The pavement ratio of roads is less than 30% of the total (the national average is about 70%), and even on national roads, the ratio of roads with one lane or more on each side is only about 50% (80%). These poor road conditions hinder the stable supply of goods to the region and the access of local residents to medical and educational facilities, and are one of the factors hindering economic development. For this reason, JICA is currently promoting road improvement projects in this northeastern region to improve people’s lives and regional development.
Improving road infrastructure changes the lives of people in the community.
In mountainous areas where there were only narrow unpaved roads winding along mountain slopes, the opening of a paved one-lane road with sufficient width has facilitated access from rural villages to the region’s central city, which used to take hours to get there. The smooth movement of people and goods will make a big difference in the lives of people in the region. I really felt that.”
Mitsunori Saito, director of JICA’s India office, who visited the site of road maintenance in the northeastern state of Tripura in April of this year, says that he actually drove on a partially opened road.
Residents in the area have also commented that “it used to take an overnight bus ride to get to the hospital in the state capital, but thanks to this road, I can now get there in a few hours” and “I am grateful that I can transport my agricultural products fresh when I go to sell them in the cities.
JICA India Office Director Mitsunori Saito visits a road maintenance site in Tripura State
A national highway running through the mountainous region of northeastern India before maintenance.
The mountain slope was bare and there was a danger of falling rocks. Photo courtesy of Nippon Koei Co.
JICA is currently developing six road improvement projects in northeastern India. The projects are being carried out concurrently, and the total length of the projects, including new road construction and widening and improvement of existing roads, exceeds 750 km. Phase 1, which began in 2017, was a project to improve the north-south trunk road in Mizoram state adjacent to Myanmar and the north-south trunk road in western Meghalaya state adjacent to Bangladesh. Last year, in 2022, another project (Phase 6) was initiated to improve the national highway that runs through Tripura State and connects to roads leading to Chotgram, the second largest city in Bangladesh, and Matabali, where a deep-sea port is being developed with JICA assistance. All of these projects will improve connectivity within the northeast region and to neighboring countries such as Myanmar and Bangladesh, and stimulate the flow of people and logistics.
However, regarding road infrastructure development in the northeast, Director Saito says that in addition to the technical difficulties unique to mountainous areas, there are also difficulties in the planning stage prior to construction.
Different tribes make up the majority in each state, and communities are subdivided into smaller groups within the state. Each tribe has different customs regarding land rights, so it takes time to negotiate land acquisition and compensation, and projects often do not proceed as planned. Problems that do not often arise in other states in India are also encountered.
Despite the unique circumstances of the area, “the economic benefits of this project when completed will be immeasurable,” says Director Saito. Therefore, he says, the project is being carried out while resolving issues one by one.
However, JICA has been working with Japanese experts and engineers from the Indian Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to develop design and maintenance standards and guidelines for the safe and sustainable development of mountain roads in India. JICA has been working with Japanese experts and engineers from the Indian Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to develop design standards and maintenance guidelines for safe and sustainable mountain roads. These guidelines will be published this year.
The publication of these guidelines establishes standards for the design and construction of mountain roads by construction professionals. It is a major step forward in establishing standards for the design and construction of not only roads, but also tunnels and bridges,” said Saito.
Facial features, eating habits, and connections to Japan regarding the history of the war.
In fact, the food and other aspects of the Northeast are very familiar to Japanese people, and Director Saito says, “When I visit the Northeast, I feel at ease. The food is made from fermented beans like natto (fermented soybeans), mixed with togarashi (red pepper) and eaten with rice, and river fish, which is very familiar to us Japanese,” he said.
As mentioned above, many of the people have facial features similar to those of the Japanese, but there is a historical connection between this region and Japan that goes beyond facial features and dietary habits. In 1944, at the end of World War II, Japanese troops fought to capture northeastern India, which was controlled by the British at the time, and are said to have inflicted over 30,000 deaths and 40,000 wounded. The Japanese could not occupy Imphal, but they did occupy Kohima, the capital of the neighboring state of Nagaland, for a period of about two months. It is a place that should not be forgotten as a footprint of the Japanese,” said Saito. We should not forget this place as the footprints of the Japanese,” said Saito.
Mitsunori Saito, Director of JICA’s India Office, will serve as Director of JICA’s India Office from 2021. Second stint in India since 2006-2010.
The potential for development in the northeastern part of the region should increase as road construction progresses,” said Saito, who also spoke of the potential of the northeastern region.
Strengthening cooperation with neighboring countries is essential
In 2014, India launched its “Act East Policy” aimed at strengthening economic ties with Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members and East Asian countries. The northeast region, which borders Myanmar, is India’s window to Southeast Asia, and strengthening connectivity with neighboring countries is a pressing issue. Under this policy, in 2017, the governments of India and Japan launched the Act East Forum to closely discuss cooperation in India’s northeast region.
Tripura borders Bangladesh, which is experiencing stable economic growth, but is missing out on economic opportunities due to restrictions on trade and movement of people. Since there are no industries in the northeastern part of India, it is difficult to develop the economy independently within the region, so we believe that the key to the development of this region is how to connect it with neighboring countries,” said Mr. Saito.
The port of Matabari in Bangladesh, located approximately 200 kilometers from Tripura, is currently being developed as a deepwater port capable of receiving large container ships with the support of JICA, and once access is improved, significant economic benefits are expected for northeastern India.
In March of this year, as a new initiative under the “Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP)” concept, which aims to promote stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, the Japanese government announced an industrial value chain concept for the Bay of Bengal and northeastern India, which is surrounded by India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and other countries. The construction of an economic zone integrated with neighboring countries is expected to revitalize industry in the region, including the participation of Japanese companies.
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