To exploit the potential of India’s approximately 7,500 km long coastline and 14,500km of potentially navigable waterways the Sagarmala Programme aims to promote port-led development in the country, says the government of India.
Sagarmala is a long term programme. The objectives of the Sagarmala Programme are Port modernization & new port development, enhancing port connectivity to hinterland, port led Industrialization and coastal community development.
The programme involves drawing up a National Perspective Plan(NPP) for Port Modernization & New Port Development, Port Connectivity Enhancement, Port-Led Industrial Development and Coastal Community Development as a first step for an integrated approach to port led development.
This planning process which involved extensive interaction and consultation with concerned states/UT governments, stakeholder Ministries and related PSUs, has been completed and the NPP is developed, has been approved by the National Sagarmala Apex Committee on 9th April,2016.
The status of major works under Sagarmala programme is as follows:
i. Sagarmala Cell was set up on 1st May, 2015.
ii.The setting up of Sagarmala Development Company has been approved by the Cabinet.
iii. Twelve Early Bird Projects have been taken up for implementation in FY 2015-16 which relate to hinterland connectivity, port operations, skill building and development of breakwaters.
iv. The perspective plans of 14 Coastal Economic Zones (CEZs), identified as part of NPP, have been prepared which will lead to formation of detailed master plans.
As part of the NPP, total 173 projects have been initially identified across the programme objectives which will result in significant investment in maritime infrastructure, create employment, reduce logistics cost and boost merchandize exports over the next decade.
The implementation of these projects is to be done by the relevant ports, Central Government Ministries, State Governments and State Maritime Boards preferably through private sector or PPP route.
Sagarmala Development Company will provide equity support for the project SPVs (State/Port/Central Ministry Level SPVs) and take up residual projects that cannot be funded by any other means/mode.
A projection has been made that the identified industrial cluster projects once implemented will enable creation of approximately 1 crore new jobs, including 40 lakh direct jobs and 60 lakhs indirect jobs in the next 10 years.
