Mystique5

PARADISE IS HERE(Sunrise States: Realizing the growth potential of North-East)

Team Members

Abhijit Duarah Bikram Baruti Debjeet Mazumdar Nayandeep Phukan Prachujya Saikia

JORHAT INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

NORTH-EAST INDIA: PRESENT SCENARIO

• India’s North East Region (NER) is endowed with hugeuntapped natural resources.

• The region is endowed with vast natural resources interms of forests, biological diversity, hydro-electricity, the region has remained largelyunderdeveloped. A key constraint to the growth hasbeen poor infrastructure and limitedconnectivity, both within the region as well as with therest of the country.

• The region, connected to the rest of India by a narrowstretch of land called the ‘chicken’s neck’, needsinfrastructure to support and ensure significantinvestments and developmental aids.

• The region has witnessed series of insurgent activitiesand is alienated from the mainland India in terms ofboth economic and physical attributes.

• According to World Bank NER has a low-levelequilibrium of poverty, non-development, civil conflictand lack of faith in political leadership.

Contribution of each state to the net GDP of North-East India

Arunachal Pradesh

Assam

Manipur

Meghalaya

Mizoram

Nagaland

Sikkim

Tripura

The total GDP of India is 8,53,495 crores according to PlanningCommission of India for the financial year 2011-12. The contribution ofNorth-East India is minimal, only 2.3%. The Pie diagram below shows the

contribution of each state to the net GDP of North-East India.

In the following slides plans have been proposed showcasing the growth potentials of NER. From the various potentials we have chosen some areas and come up with a plan/project for its development. The ideas shown can be implemented in similar other regions/areas for the overall growth and development of NER.

KAZIRANGA NATIONAL PARK DEVELOPMENT PLANKaziranga national park is widely known as the only home of the great one horned rhinoceros. It comprises of one of the most dense forest in the worldand is a World Heritage Site. But still, lack of proper exposure is a key constraint to its large scale development.

• Proposal of a ropeway system inside the park within 3 km connecting Mihimukh and Kathpar. Similarly plan can be made to facilitate boating on Diflooriver flowing through the Kaziranga National Park (KNP). A proposed plan for the construction of over-bridges crossing the NH 37 at those places which areused by the animals as corridors for seasonal shifting of habitat to Burhapahar area especially during the floods.• Daily Helicopter rides catering to the tourists over areas where wild life especially the one horned rhino is usually found.• Eco resorts showcasing local indigenous culture, cuisine ,tradition with modern amenities available to attract tourists.• Wildlife festivals like The Great Kaziranga Mahotsava , Hastimahotsava where wild tamed elephants give delight to spectators. This will also accompanyvarious local troupes who will showcase their culture and various events will be organized for the participation of wildlife lovers.• Golaghat will be the nearest Wildlife Information centre featuring Assam Tourism cabs and caravans, tourist guides, tickets, lodging, fooding fordomestic as well as international tourists.• Motorized paragliding facility near Kaziranga National Park will be a good prospect for tourists recreation.• Publishing a booklet which will act as information brochure for the above mentioned plans to the tourists.

• Helicopter Ride by Pawan Hans Limited ( Dauphin SA- 365N)Per Ride Expenditure- `1,00,000 approx; Per Ride Income- `80,000; Minimum rides- 10 (2 Helicopters); Annual income-` 16,00,00,000 approx.• State Govt Ropeway plan ( Kaziranga Cable Car Project )Investment- ` 10 crores ( 3 km stretch); Per ride Income- ` 3,600; Minimum Rides- 20 ( 2 cable car); Annual income - ` 1,44,00,000 approx for 3 km ride.• Government undertaken Eco Resorts Plan - It includes the establishment and development cost of eco resorts, tourism complex, Assam tourismcabs, Yatriniwas, Upgradation of Golaghat as nearest information centre.Investment- 33.30 crores rupee; Revenue generated – 8 crores approx. per year from resorts only.• Establishing a animal welfare centre and undertaking an initiative to help the local dwellers from the income generated from the above plans.

SNAPSHOT OF THE PLAN PROPOSED

INVESTMENT AND INCOME GENERATED

SIKKIM HIGH SPEED RAILWAY NETWORK PROJECT

Sikkim has many untapped natural resources and ancient Monasteries which are hidden at the backdrop of dense forests and high mountainousterrain and needs an urgent proper connectivity mechanism to ensure full utilization of their tourism aspect. Sikkim’s geography is comparable tothat of South Korea. South Korean railway network system is one of the best in the world which consist of High speed train connectivity in thenation. Sikkim high speed railway network is a proposed initiative to connect important cities in the region and is one of the first step to introducerailway network in the Himalayan state. The plan will consist of following objectives and ideas-

** SNAPSHOT OF THE PLAN• Four important cities will be covered in this project which includes – Lingdong(North Sikkim), Lingtam( East Sikkim) , Yuksam( West Sikkim), Keozing( South Sikkim).North Bengal ( New Jalpaiguri Station) will be connected to these cities via Gangtok.• These four cities are the places where Home stay tourism are going on. Homestay tourism is an initiative by Sikkim State government to make tourist realize thelifestyle of local villagers during their short span stay in the village or Eco village. Adisplay of local cuisine, culture, important monuments will be presented to thetourists . This will also aid local people to earn livelihood and prosper economically.• The High speed train network will encompass length and breadth of the statewhich will attract lakhs of tourists both domestic as well as international.

The alongside map show the proposed plan to introduce the railway network. Theblue lines depicts the railway tracks and the green dots are the railway stoppages.These network will be interconnected to each other thus it will provide an easymechanism to travel in the region. The above mentioned cities are connected toother cities via roads and offer numerous opportunities to view the unexploredparadise.

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GDP in percent

• The cities mentioned are the important sites for cultivation of Herbal and Medicinal plants and is one of the major sources of income forlocal inhabitants. The home-stay tourism featuring the rich cultural heritage of the tribal area particularly West Sikkim is a great prospect fortourism which will attract tourists in large numbers.• Ancient Buddha Monasteries and Shiva temples are the key tourist destinations in this connectivity project.

INVESTMENT PLANThe investment will be under the Railway Ministry which is approx. ` 175 crores for a track length of 354 km. This project will be constructed onthose areas which are important locations as already shown in the Sikkim map above. The project will be a boon to the local people as it canbecome the first step in connecting the region to mainland India via railways. Exposure of enchanting monasteries, monuments to the outsideworld will generate revenue and help Sikkim’s tourism to flourish. As a matter of fact that the people of Sikkim are highly optimistic about railwayprojects, the proposed plan will be a stepping stone in the future of Sikkim Railways. The proposed high speed train service if undertaken as perspecifications of South Korean train services, will surely boost economic growth.

** The graph below shows the GDP of Sikkim in % for a period of 10 years. It is expected that the GDP will increase @ 5 % per year if properdevelopment in tourism is planned and executed. Special focus on the Railway Project will generate high revenue for the state.

STILWELL ROAD – ONE ROAD, NUMEROUS OPPORTUNITIES

The Stilwell road or Ledo road is a famous transborder road of World War II era connecting Ledo in Assam and Kunming in China via Myanmar.Until 1958 the road was functional but after the 1962 Indo-China war the government of India closed down the Indian part of the road. The roadis now in a very worn out state due to a number of reasons including government negligence and natural causes. Reopening of the road willconnect the NER of India with South East Asian nations and will transform the region to a major commercial and tourism hotspot.

Excluding the Indian part of the road the Chinese and Myanmar authorities have already reconstructed their part of the road and are using itfor trade and commerce purposes.

**POSITIVES OF THIS PLANBorder trade would get a major boost with the opening of Stilwell Road; Indian automobilecomponents, fruits, grain, vegetables, textiles and cotton yarn could witness strong demand inalmost all the Southeast Asian countries. At the same time, Indian traders can import electronicgadgets, synthetic blankets, teak, gold and semi-precious stones. The opening of Stilwell Roadcould cut costs of Chinese exports to India and vice versa by as much as 30%. Currently Sino-Indian trade is worth $74 billion annually; this cost-cutting could result in a new surge in trade.

This will also boost the tourism sector as the tourists will have a low cost alternativepassage into the country.

Many of the tribes in NER have their origin in the greater South-East Asian region.Reopening of this road will help them to connect to their roots and this will promote culturalexchange between countries .

• Due to security concerns and threat of illegal smuggling the government has not favored this ambitious project. We propose setting up aspecial army division to counter the external threats, it would include ITBF, also the now dysfunctional Assam police 2nd line of defense can beused.• A MoU will be signed between the trading countries and an action plan will be devised to regulate trade and commerce.• The Central Govt with consultation with the NER state governments should take initiatives in identifying potential places and developingthem as commercial hubs. E.g. – auction centres, resorts, hotels, office buildings, shopping malls, multiplexes etc.

AGRICULTURE : PRESENT SCENARIO AND DEVELOPMENT PLAN

The North Eastern Region of India comprising the states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim andTripura has a total geographical area of 18.37 million ha of which about 55% is under forest cover. About 1.2 million ha. is under cultivation and itproduces a very meagre proportion of food grains (1.5%). Ironically Eastern and North Eastern regions hold enormous potential for developmentof agriculture, horticulture, animal husbandry and fisheries with the fact that North-Eastern region falls under the high rainfall zone. Hugeincrease in production can be achieved in the region simply by using available and accessible technologies. .

**Some plans to accelerate the production of agriculture in NER:•Rice based Farming Systems: As rice is the main crop in the NER, rice basedfarming systems involving pisci-culture and rearing of animals/smallruminants, poultry, piggery and goat may be introduced in the form of anintegrated farming system.•Utilisation of rice–fallow areas: As the region is largely unirrigated, the singlecrop that is taken, usually rice, is followed by fallow. However, the residualmoisture in the soil being high, it is possible to cultivate a second crop like Rabicrops e.g. oilseeds, pulses or vegetables, with the application of appropriatepractices.• Location-specific Diversified Farming Systems: Large areas of NER which areprone to water logging, can be put under profitable aquatic farming systemsfor Makhana, Singhara, Swamp-taro, etc. as well as fisheries.• Agro–forestry: The NE region can be used profitably for agro-forestry.Nagaland has pioneered an excellent method of upgrading jhum by interposinga strong and increasing component of agro-forestry through assisted treeplanting of selected fast growing economic timbers. 500 villages have alreadybeen covered, with farmers planting up to 100 trees each in their jhumfields, calculated to yield a harvest of Rs.1 lakh each on a 10 year jhum cycle.

The graph below shows the production of cereal crops in NER during the last decade.

• Organic farming: The low input intensity of the region gives it a naturaladvantage in production of organic food, organic manure, bio-products, etc.The region can be promoted as a centre for organically produced eco-friendlygoods. This will provide opportunities for production and marketing of organicproducts, health food, eco- and bio- goods, herbal medicine, etc through anintegrated strategy for sustainable and equitable utilization of its naturalresources and bio-diversity.• Special thrust on fruit and vegetable: The soil and climatic conditions arecongenial for growing a large variety of vegetables and fruits. There arenumerous pockets covering sizable areas which are favourable for cultivation ofpotato, turmeric and fruits like litchi, mango, banana, orange including root andtuber corps, mushroom, floriculture, medicinal and aromatic plants, spices.Beekeeping has traditionally been an important activity in NER.• Development of floriculture: The NER has the potential to emerge as themajor supplier of floriculture products, especially rose, orchids and cut flowers.The potential needs to be tapped by bringing together the efforts of variousagencies and a robust market development.• Potential for fisheries: Keeping in view of the vast and varied aquaticresources available in the region for fish production, this area can yieldsubstantial returns. The region has vast potential for fisheries by enhancementof rivers, streams, floodplains, wetlands, reservoirs, lakes, ponds, etc. Of theapproximately 806 species of fish inhabiting fresh waters of India, the NorthEastern region represents 267 species belonging to 112 genera, amounting to33.13% of total fish diversity of India.

**SOME NOTEWORTHY PROSPECTS

• Kumol Chaul ( Soft Rice) which is consumed as asupplementary food item in Assam has been proposedfor use in the Indian Army.• Bhut Jolokia ( Hottest chili in the world) is going to beweaponized by the Indian Army in special tear gastype hand grenades for crowd control.• Bao-Dhaan( Red Rice) has recently found greatdemand in the global market thanks to it being organicby default, apart from having a high content ofiron, protein, vitamins and other nutrients.• Fertile river beds after flood every year inBrahmaputra valley can be used to cultivate onions tomake NER region self sufficient in onions.• Water Hyacinth grows naturally in abundance in theponds, lakes, etc. Although it is considered a weedresponsible for many problems we can find someuseful applications of the plant. The shoot of the plantcan be used to extract fibers which can be used inmaking of paper, yarn, ropes , basket, etc.

The agricultural sector of this region will find itsway ahead by taking into account the abovementioned points.

Localized non-conventional power generation in remote areas: The north eastern region comprises of several hilly rivers with gorgestreams. These water sources of extreme kinetic energy can be madeuse for local hydel power generation. In remote areas of this regionhaving such streams , mini hydel projects can be setup so that at leastthat specific region becomes self sufficient in terms of powerrequirement . This will eradicate the need to depend upon electricitycompanies by providing low cost electricity tohouseholds, schools, health units, rice mills, flour mills etc in thoseregions.

Wind power harnessing in Arunachal Pradesh is a new prospect ofenergy generation to save the state from energy crisis. Recently,NEEPCO has agreed to take a project of wind harnessing in the regionwhich will produce energy of about 213 MW. As the terrain of the stateconsists of a part of eastern Himalayas , wind here is of very high speed,which if harnessed properly promises great future in further suchprojects.

SOME OTHER GROWTH POTENTIALS

Sericulture:Nature has endowed NER with favourable climatic andenvironmental conditions, which makes her the naturalhomeland of various silk producing worms and their foodplants. The NER has been traditionally practicing sericultureparticularly mulberry, muga and eri. Since ancient times it hasbeen playing a vital role in upliftment of the rural economy.Sericulture can generate employment for a large number ofunemployed people especially females. Muga silk has atremendous global market potential.

For making a ‘pat sadar’ (silk fabric) in hand loom oneweaver is paid about 700 rupees and it takes an average of 6 to7 days. So it is estimated that one weaver can earn maximum100 rupees per day. However if machine looms are used aweaver can produce the same in half a day and earn more.Creation of specific plans to industrialise sericulture will

provide employment and contribute to economy of NER.

Bio-diesel from Jatropha: As the fossil fuel reserves are depleting countries are researching for alternative sources of energy. One such type is production of bio-dieselfrom Jatropha plant. The advantage of this Jatropha oil is that it can be used directly after extraction (i.e. without refining) in dieselgenerators and engines. The NER has enormous potential for plantation of Jatropha in its vast wastelands. Jatropha plantation has alreadybeen undertaken in Arunachal Pradesh. The region is capable of producing 510 tons of Jatropha oilseeds from approximate 1700 hectare ofwastelands. This will contribute to reduce India’s oil imports by 2% per year.

MUSHROOM CULTIVATION: Mushrooms are the fleshy and edible fruit bodies of severalbodies of micro fungi. It is a vegetarian food and is rich in protein, fibre, and amino acids. It isgood for diabetes and joint pains and has excellent medicinal properties. Thus mushroom is ofhuge demand in world food market and has good export potential for countries such asChina, Singapore, Dubai, and Europe. India’s mushroom export ranks sixth in world with amarket share of 4.44 %. India can grow temperate, sub-tropical, and tropical mushrooms andNorth-east can be developed as ‘mushroom bowl of the country.’ Mushrooms requiredifferent climate regimes specially the temperature, and therefore can be grown in variousregions and seasons in the NE.

Mushroom production requires very little land and can be a good source ofemployment for educated unemployed youth. The two primary inputs for mushroomproduction – agro-waste and labour are easily available. Mushroom can be cultivated at lowcost from Rs.50,000 to Rs.1 lakh. A kg fetches at least Rs.200 and the profit margin is 30 to 40per cent. A crop requires 45 days and at least 1.5 tonnes can be harvested per crop. In anaverage, 10 tonnes per unit is possible per annum.

BAMBOO AND CANE INDUSTRY: Bamboo andCane are raw materials of great versatility and formsan integral part of the lifestyle and economy ofAssam. It is practiced as a household industry and nomechanical device is used. It requires littleinvestment and training and provides employment tounemployed uneducated youth. At present, thereare vast untapped resources of bamboo that canopen up avenues for utilization of bamboo for manyproductive works. Such a huge surplus of bamboo isnot found elsewhere in India. Cane is also found inabundance almost throughout the state. The industryhas considerable scope for development and variousnew products suited to modern tastes can bemanufactured out of bamboo and cane. Marketintelligence is required to be developed so thatproducts can be made to cater to the need of theconsumer market.

Cane furniture has an unparalleled stand inthe industry with its long lasting tensile strength andlight weightiness. The best feature of a cane productis its eco friendliness and bio degradability. Caneproducts have an innate ability to resist fungal andbacterial attack. It can be elegantly designed tochairs, sofas, tables, cradles, cots, willows, hangingchairs, bamboo curtains etc. The government shouldtake initiative to introduce it to the global market.

RUBBER CULTIVATION: Rubber cultivation can be done in ArunachalPradesh, Assam, Manipur, lower reaches of hills of Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland andTripura in NER. The agro-climatic conditions obtained here are unique for rubber cultivation.Tripura already has 26,500 hectare area of rubber plantation and production is about 10,000MT per year. The availability of good quantity of high quality rubber offers scope for settingup of rubber-based industries in the state. Rubber cultivation is also proving to be aneffective means of weaning away the ill effects of ‘jhum’ cultivation like soil erosion, landdegradation etc. The rubber board has already taken initiative in other NE states foraccelerated development of rubber plantation as well as development of infrastructure. TheBoard has been providing training to farmers, giving financial assistance, establishing groupprocessing centres, supplying rubber rollers and rubber sheeting rollers free of cost, etc.

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROJECTSCapital Investment for implementation of projects will be borne bythe central govt. and respective state govt. in a 70-30 % share basiswith consultation from the board of advisors. The money from thecentral govt. will be routed through the DONER ministry. Anotherway of raising capital for the projects is PPP (Public PrivatePartnership) between govt. and private entrepreneurs.

The working committee will be headed by chairpersons who are thestate ministers of respective ministry. A premium research institutione.g. IIT, IIM etc. will head the entire projects and provide the necessaryexpertise and research facilities for developing the projects. They willbe assisted by local interested innovators and NGO’s.

REFERENCES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY

• India’s North-East Diversifying Growth Opportunities, Indian Chamber Of Commerce 2013

• Report of The Working Group on Agricultural Development in Eastern and Northeastern India, The Planning Commission of India 2001

• Mushroom Production for the Development of North-East India, Dr. RD Rai, Principal Scientist, Directorate of Mushroom Research, ICAR

• State wise GDP 2012 , VMW Analytic Services

•North –East Enquirer, Special Report, Vol. 2 Issue No. 21

• Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge, Vol .9 ( 2 ), April 2010

• Greenwood Resorts Information Brochure

• Sikkim Railway Voice of Sikkim 2013

• Homestay Tourism, Times of India, 28th March 2013

• Look East on Stilwell Road, The Financial Express, 24th March 2012

•Emphasis on Wind Power in Arunachal Pradesh, EAI

• Economic Benefits and Costs of Jatropha, AgEcon Search

• Official website Pawan Hans Limited

• Ledo Road, Wikipedia

• Rubber Plantation North- East India, Official Website NEDFI Databank

• Crafts of North-East Bamboo, Official Website Ignca.