Mains Daily Question
Feb. 9, 2024
Q2. Discuss the various infrastructural development challenges associated with the North Eastern Region (NER) of India. Also, mention the measures taken up by the Government to enhance the connectivity in the NER of India. (10M, 150W)
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Approach to the answer: Understanding and structuring the answer: The question has two main components – 1) Infrastructure development challenges in NER of India. 2) Government schemes/initiatives to enhance the connectivity in the NER of India. Introduction: Type 1: You can write about NER in terms of its geographical position in India. Body: Heading 1: Infrastructural development challenges associated with the NER of India. Heading 2: Measures taken up by the Government to enhance the connectivity in the NER of India Conclusion: Type 1: You can highlight the role of infrastructure development in future growth of India. |
Answer: The NER is linked to the mainland of India through a narrow strip of Siliguri Corridor in North Bengal that is also called the 'Chicken's Neck'. The region's average road density is lower than the rest of India. For the development of NER, the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region has been created to create infrastructure for the region's economic development.
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Challenges associated with the infrastructural development in the NER are as follows: |
- Geographical features: Due to rugged terrain and an inefficient connectivity landscape, the region faces significant transit times to markets of the other states in the country.
- Sparse distribution of population: About 72% of the region is covered by mountains, hills, plateaus and only the remaining 28% of the area covered by plains that support the bulk of the population of the region.
- Delay in land acquisition: There is concern over delays in land acquisition for highway projects in the NER.
- For example, the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution grants autonomy to District Councils, limiting state authority over land use.
- Societal protests: For example, the two projects (Tetelia-Byrnihat and Byrnihat-Shillong) taken up to connect the capital of Meghalaya had come to a standstill due to law & order problems.
- Environmental challenges: Protecting the biodiversity of the northeast, and frequent climate related disasters.
- For example, the historic floods in NER show that India's Act East Policy urgently needs to deal with disaster mitigation and resilience.
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Measures taken by the Government to enhance the connectivity in the NER of India are as follows: |
- Road connectivity: A total of 4686 km of National Highways have been sanctioned by Ministry of Road Transport & Highways in NER in the last 03 years.
- For example, in addition, North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme (NESIDS) and North East Road Sector Development Scheme (NERSDS) has sanctioned 77 road projects.
- Air connectivity: Presently, there are 16 operational airports in the NER. Further, 13 major infrastructure works are under implementation in the States of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya and Tripura.
- Rail Connectivity: A total of 19 railway infrastructure projects, falling fully / partly in North Eastern States, covering a total length of 1909 km.
- Waterways connectivity: The Government aims development of the Inland Water Transport (IWT) infrastructure on two NWs (NW-2 and NW-16) for a period of five years, from 2020-21 to 2024-25.
- Last mile connectivity through special schemes: special Accelerated Road Development Programme for North East (SARDP-NE), scheme for Inter-State Neglected Roads etc.
- Power connectivity: In the renewable power sector, a total generation capacity of 578.54 MW has been installed in the North Eastern Region and Sikkim.
- Telecom connectivity: Under Bharat-Net project a total of 5665 villages of NER are proposed to be covered with 4G services.
- Logistics infrastructure: Through PM-DevINE Scheme announced under the Budget 2022-23 and PM Gati Shakti for development of multi modal logistics parks.
- People to people connectivity: “Yuva Sangam” initiative to strengthen people-to-people connect specially between youth belonging to NER and other States.
Infrastructure development is crucial to achieve the India 2047 vision for a $ 40 trillion economy and be reclassified from a developing economy to a developed economy.
