Shillong expressway to extend up to Mizoram
From Our Special Correspondent
NEW DELHI, May 17: In a strategic move to reduce dependence on Bangladesh for maritime access to its Northeastern states, India is fast-tracking a high-speed highway corridor from Shillong to Silchar that will ultimately link the region to the Bay of Bengal via the India-built Sittwe Port in Myanmar. This infrastructure push is designed not just to boost connectivity and trade, but also to serve as a geopolitical counter to Dhaka’s tightening grip over regional waterways.
The ambitious four-lane highway, pegged at Rs 22,864 crore, will stretch 166.8 km along NH-6 — from Mawlyngkhung near Shillong to Panchgram near Silchar. Once completed, it will serve as the only high-speed corridor in the Northeast and connect to the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project in Myanmar, creating an alternative sea route between the Northeast and Kolkata.
A senior official from the National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) said the highway will be a key extension of India’s broader connectivity strategy under the Act East Policy. He described the project as a calculated response to recent remarks by Bangladesh’s interim government chief adviser, Muhammad Yunus, who claimed during a speech in Beijing that Northeast India is “landlocked” and that “Dhaka is the only guardian of the ocean for the entire region” — remarks that were interpreted as a pitch for extending Chinese influence.
Once complete, the corridor will allow cargo to move from Vizag and Kolkata ports to the Northeast through Sittwe Port, bypassing the Chittagong port in Bangladesh. After reaching Myanmar’s Paletwa via inland waterways, goods will travel by road to Zorinpui in Mizoram, and then on to the rest of the Northeast. The Shillong-Silchar highway is a critical missing link in this logistical chain, the NHIDCL official said.
The majority of the new highway — 144.8 km — will pass through Meghalaya, with only 22 km in Assam, benefiting not just Meghalaya but also connecting to key regions in Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura. The project is expected to reduce travel time from 8.5 hours to just 5 hours, slashing costs and fossil fuel consumption.
The Kaladan project — funded by India’s Ministry of External Affairs—connects Kolkata port to Sittwe port in Myanmar’s Rakhine State. From there, it links inland to Paletwa and onward to Zorinpui, where the NHIDCL plans to extend the road to Lawngtlai and Aizawl in Mizoram. Silchar, at the other end of the new highway, serves as a major transit point for Mizoram, Manipur, Tripura, and the Barak Valley, making the corridor vital for regional integration.
The only hurdle remains the ongoing unrest in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, where pro- and anti-junta forces continue to clash, posing risks to the Kaladan route’s reliability. Meanwhile, India remains heavily dependent on the narrow Siliguri Corridor — often dubbed the “Chicken’s Neck” — for access to its Northeastern states.
The move comes amid souring relations with Bangladesh, which has curtailed India’s access to the Bay of Bengal, even as it tightens its control over waterway transit in the region. In response, India has suspended transshipment facilities for Bangladeshi exports, including its key readymade garment sector.
The Kaladan project, jointly identified by India and Myanmar, is slated to be fully operational by the time the Shillong–Silchar highway is completed, by 2030. Construction will involve major engineering work, including slope stabilisation and landslide prediction, given the region’s challenging topography.
To make the corridor an all-weather road, NHIDCL will deploy advanced technology such as rock anchors, high-strength wire mesh panels, and protective walls. Instruments like geophones and inclinometers will be used to monitor seismic activity and slope stability in the earthquake-prone region.
According to NHIDCL, the project will not only ease pressure on the Siliguri Corridor but also serve strategic, economic, and security interests for the entire Northeast.