The Sagarmala Project
India ranks 5th on the list of top manufacturing countries in the world. Though India is developing in various aspects and emerging as the top manufacturer it is the basic need of India to develop its infrastructure and to minimize its logistics cost so that the ease of doing business increases and more and more countries turn towards India.
India has a coastline of 7400km and 14000km inland waterways and almost 90% of the goods (by volume) pass-through ports and hence improving the available source that is improving the infrastructure of the waterways will have a direct impact on the Indian economy.
Sagar Mala is a program whose focus is on the infrastructure of water-based transportation and hence it is a promising program that can accomplish this goal. Originally was envisioned by our then Honourable Prime Minister Mr. Atal Bihari Vajpayee in the year 2003 and because the government changed, this project had to wait until 2015, when it was approved by the Union Cabinet.
It aspires to reduce logistics costs for export/import and domestic cargo leading to overall cost savings of INR 35,000 to 40,000 cr. per annum. Sagarmala project also focuses on the reduction of carbon emission due to transportation.
Sagarmala focuses on theses 4 pillars
1. Port Modernization & New Port Development: The existing major ports are being modernized. The capacity of the ports is being expanded so that it can accumulate more goods. New ports are also developed so that more and more trade can take place simultaneously without even any delay.
2. Port Connectivity Enhancement: Under this, the main objective is to connect the ports with various major production industries and hinterlands, which will optimize the cost and time of cargo movement through domestic waterways transportation.
3. Port-linked Industrialization: The plan is to set up industries nearby ports so that goods get manufactured and can be directly exported through the ports which will save logistics costs and time. The goods will not be damaged as much if they had to from a distant area.
4. Coastal Community Development: Promoting sustainable development of coastal communities through skill development & livelihood generation activities, fisheries development, so that the population there does not have to vacate the place and provide with necessary services and materials as and when needed. coastal tourism also is set up to attract tourists which will contribute to the Indian economy.
This is a mega project which has provided lakhs of employment as well as it will save lots of logistics costs when it will be accomplished. Till today various subprojects have already been completed and various are still under construction.
If this project is accomplished then it will not only bring lots of economic profit but also it will take India one more step closer to become a developed nation!
