SHILLONG: Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) signed an agreement with the Government of India to provide official development assistance (ODA) loan of 38,666 million Japanese Yen (approximately Rs 2,500 crore) for the ‘North East Road Connectivity Project (Phase 2)’.
The conditions for the ODA loan are concessional that is 1.2 per cent for project activities and 0.01 per cent for consulting services, and 30 years of repayment period (including 10 years of grace period).
The project aims at improving the connectivity in the region by upgrading roads and bridges. This assistance from JICA will help in laying bypasses for NH-40 in Meghalaya and NH-54 bypasses in Mizoram, which are the targeted sections in the project.
NH-40 is located in the southern part of Meghalaya. The targeted section of NH-40 is from Shillong to Dawki in Meghalaya with the length of 81km.
The project consists of widening roads to two-lane highways of 35.8 km and to four-lane highways of 10.19 km (46 km in total length), constructing five new bypasses of 21.4 km in total.
NH-54, located in central Mizoram, includes four bypasses from Aizawl to Tuipang in Mizoram, covering a length of 24.04 km.
The stretch of NH-54 is connected to the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transport Corridor, which connects the northeastern states to Myanmar by road, inland water transport and marine transport. NH-40 and NH-54 will also be safeguarded with the slope protection technology to stop road blocks caused due to landslides.
The ODA loan agreement was signed between Sujan R Chinoy, ambassador of India to Japan, and Junichi Yamada, senior vice president of JICA, at Iikura House of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tokyo.
Speaking on the occasion, Takema Sakamoto, Chief Representative of JICA India office, said, “NER (north east region) is an area with huge potential. Roads and bridges are essential for both better living standards and vigorous industrial development.
Once completed, the Project will empower the people of North East India to travel easily, with the help of an improved infrastructure, which will provide convenient transitability and connectivity.”
National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) is the project executing agency.
In March 2017, the loan agreement for the North East Road Network Connectivity Improvement Project (Phase 1) was signed between the Centre and JICA.
Phase 1 covered improvement of NH-54 from the state capital Aizwal with the length of 350.7 km and improvement of NH-51 in Meghalaya from Tura to Dalu (with the length of 51.5 km) NH-54 and NH-51 in Mizoram and Meghalaya states, respectively. Phase1 enabled easier access of farm produce to large markets.
