Prayagraj, 30 Aug (HS): Throughout decades,

Mizoram is considered one of the most beautiful yet remote states in India-

green hills sweeping into the misty air, miles of bamboo forests, and cultural

communities that have been geographically isolated. Hitherto, the state of

Mizoram, the capital of which is called Aizawl, took five hours to be reached

via a road network of narrow highways that destroyed every time there was a

monsoon. A 51.38-km-long engineering wonder, the BairabiSairang railway line

has cost a little over 8000 crores to transform this fact.

The 45-tunnel 153-bridge line, which

features the second tallest pier bridge in the country, 114 meters (taller than

the Qutub Minar) now links Mizoram to the national railway grid. This project,

which is more of a construction success, is already transforming the economy of

Mizoram, its society, and strategic value.

A Lifeline of Connectivity: The railway

cuts reduce the road distance of seven hours between Aizawl and Silchar into

mere 3 hours of the train thus making movement much faster, safe, and

economical. Passenger trains can now serve at speeds of up to 100 kmph and so

residents are now able to access healthcare centers, universities and

commercial centers with a great deal of reliability.

That is not just convenience. It is

estimated that the regional GDP growth could be enhanced by 2-3 percent each

year due to better connectivity as more people can travel without travel

barriers and more people have access to the economy. To a small state such as

that of Mizoram, where the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) is about ₹25,000

crore, a 2 percent increase would translate into an extra 500 crore revenue

into the economy every year.

Economic Growth and Prosperity: The most

observable change is economic. The railway has made it easier to access the

Indian wider markets by transporting the agricultural produce of Mizoram

(bamboo, chillies, oranges, ginger, and pineapple) at a drastically reduced

cost. Currently, post-harvest losses due to poor transport in the Northeast

average around 25–30%. Through rail connectivity, it is projected that the

level of spoilage will reduce to half and this will increase the incomes of

farmers directly.

There is also local entrepreneurs to

benefit. The costs of logistics that used to cost 15-20 per kg by road should

come down by 30-40 percent through rail. The savings are spread to other areas:

vital commodities like fuel, cement and daily grocers are estimated to fall by

10-20 percent, making life in the state more affordable to more than 1.2

million of Mizoram people.

Another multiplier is job creation. The

project created thousands of construction and engineering employment during the

course of construction. In the future, economists estimate 3,000-5,000 of the

indirect jobs each year in the logistics, hospitality, retail and tourism

associated with the railway. This would bring the unemployment level in

Mizoram, which is already high than that of the country, closer to equilibrium.

Tourism and Trade as Growth Engines: Mizoram

has been a long unrecognized tourism gem. Its untouched hills, traditional

festivals and eco-tourism potential was limited by inaccessible location. Rail

accessibility means that the government estimates that tourist arrivals would

increase by 40-50 percent within the next five years, an influx that would

drive up sales in hotels, homestays, handicraft markets and transport services.

Trade, too, is poised for a leap. The railway connects Mizoram to the rest of

India and places it near Myanmar’s Sittwe Port, thus placing the state into

international supply networks as part of the Act East Policy of India. Planned

extensions Mizoram may become a transit hub with a value of between 10-12

billion dollars in trade between India and Southeast Asia in the next ten

years.

Social Integration and Inclusion: The

railway has strong social overtones to do with more than economics. In the

past, the isolation of Mizoram gave rise to a feeling of physical and

psychological detachment to the mainstream of India. That gap is now bridged

symbolically and practically by rail connectivity, which makes national

cohesion stronger.

Improved transport also implies improved

governance delivery. There is easy access of teachers to schools located far,

faster transportation of doctors and medicines and more access of government

officials to the communities previously considered remote. Relief supplies can

now also be transported by train in case of a disaster with the risk of lives

being saved in the event of floods and landslides which are common in the area.

Sustainability and Resilience: There was

a tremendous technical and human cost to building the line through the steep

hills of Mizoram. Landslides, challenging geology, and a tragic bridge collapse

that killed 26 workers in 2023, which occurred with the project, were common.

Nevertheless, the construction of the line was done with an eco-sensitive

approach in mind-long tunnels and elevated viaducts minimize on-site

deforestation and destruction of habitats. The railway establishes a new

people-centered infrastructure by engaging the locals and reducing

displacement. It shows how development can be done at levels of ecological

sustainability despite fragile landscapes.

The Numbers That Tell the story: The

BairabiSairang line of rail might not be much more than 51.38 kilometers, but

in those 51.38 kilometers there is a tale of change. Five of these stations,

four of them brand new at Hortoki, Kawnpui, Mualkhang, and Sairang, now make

Mizoram squarely on the Indian railroad map. Engineers constructed an

impressive 153 bridges, including India’s second tallest pier bridge at 114

meters above the valley, higher than the Qutub Minar, and excavated 45 tunnels

along with a 12.8 kilometers-long path through some of the most stubborn rock

to cut this route. Even the budget of this grandiose project increased to

almost 8,000 crore as compared to its original budget of 5,020 crore, but the

fruits of this project would be even bigger. Economists estimate that it will

increase Mizoram Gross State Domestic Product at an annual rate of 500-700

crores which is impressive considering that the state is only 1.2 million. Poor

access has long been a limiting factor in tourism and this is projected to

increase by 40-50 percent in the coming five years making the hills and

festivals of Mizoram accessible to the rest of the world. This will also bring

a difference to everyday life, with freight, and necessities (fuels, food, etc)

becoming cheaper, the living cost will go down by 10-20 percent. Behind all the

bridges, all the tunnels, all the meters of railroad track are not only steel

and stone, but also the assurance of a better future and a new identity of

Mizoram.

From Isolation to Integration: The

BairabiSairang railway is not an ordinary series of steel tracks over the hills

of Mizoram; it is a metaphor of change. It is rewriting the socio-economic fate

of the state by cutting down time of travelling, cutting down costs, improving

agriculture, promoting tourism and linking Mizoram to international markets.

To the 1.2 million people of Mizoram,

these trains carry with them a lot more than passengers and freight they carry

prosperity, inclusion, and opportunity. To India, the line is a major victory

that made a formerly distant frontier into a bridge to Southeast Asia.

There is more in the rhythm of the

trains now resounding in the valleys of Mizoram, that development may be

inclusive and sustainable and even extensive, and may convert the margins into

developmental centers.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi