Sagar mala
Sagar mala is an initiative floated by the Government of India to evolve a model of port led development which will transform India’s coastline as gateways of India’s prosperity. The concept of Sagar mala was first announced in 2003. However it didn’t take off. The concept has been reintroduced now and the Ministry of Shipping is the nodal point for implementing the project. (In Hindi, Sagar refers to Ocean and mala refers to garland /necklace)
The initiative aims at integrating three things-the development of ports, industrial clusters and hinterland and efficient evacuation systems through road, rail, inland and coastal waterways. The Sagar mala initiative, therefore, focuses on
- Modernisation of port infrastructure- transforming the existing ports to world class ports and development of new ports;
- Efficient evacuation system by improving hinterland linkages through rail, road and water; and
- Encouraging coastal economic development by promoting port based SEZs and ancillary industries.
To realise the objectives of Sagar Mala, two broad strategies have been outlined: development of coastal economic regions and promotion of coastal shipping.
A coastal economic region will be identified as a region along the length of the state’s coast (300-500 km) and 10-30 km inland and into the sea. This is to widen the span of economic activity in the region. Sagar mala envisages formation of ten coastal economic regions along the coastline.
Policy initiatives are also outlined for encouragement of coastal shipping by provision of green channel, incentives for use and simplification of procedures.
Sagar mala initiative would encourage coastal shipping and inland waterways as main carriers of people and goods which is very essential to improve India’s sea borne traffic. With a coastline of 7,500 km, India’s seaborne traffic is only 950 million tonnes whereas China has a seaborne traffic of 9 billion tonnes with a coastline of 15,000km.
A detailed note on Sagar mala has been floated by the Ministry of Shipping which can be viewed here.
