Context:
Chennai-Vladivostok maritime corridor becomes operational
Chennai-Vladivostok Eastern Maritime Corridor:
- A strategic sea route connecting Chennai to Vladivostok, Russia’s eastern port city
- Covers approximately 5,600 nautical miles (about 10,300 km) and aims to enhance bilateral trade between India and Russia
- Passes through – Sea of Japan, South China Sea, and through the Strait of Malacca, to emerge into the Bay of Bengal and then cuts across through the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago to Chennai.
- At present, the two countries are linked through the traditional European route which passes through Red Sea, Mediterranean Sea and Baltic Sea.
- Significance –
- Part of India’s broader maritime vision to become a leading maritime nation by 2047.
- Facilitates the transport of crude oil, coal, LNG and various other products.
- Port Connectivity – Major Indian ports like Paradip and Vishakhapatnam are connected to this corridor to improve the supply of oil and gas.
- Aligns with India’s goal to double its container handling capacity in the next 5 years.
Source: The Hindu
Previous Year Question
With reference to India’s projects on connectivity, consider the following statements:
1. East-West Corridor under Golden Quadrilateral Project connects Dibrugarh and Surat.
2. Trilateral Highway connects Moreh in Manipur and Chiang Mai in Thailand via Myanmar.
3. Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor connects Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh with Kunming in China.
How many of the above statements are correct?
[UPSC Civil Service Exam – 2023 Prelims]
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None
Answer: (d)
Explanation:
The East-West Corridor is a part of this project and connects Silchar in Assam to Porbandar in Gujarat. So, Statement 1 is not correct.
The IMT Trilateral Highway connects Moreh in the Indian state of Manipur with Mae Sot in Thailand, passing through Myanmar. Statement 2 is not correct.
The Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor (BCIM) is expected to run from Kunming in China, through Myanmar, and Bangladesh, and eventually reach Kolkata in India. So, Statement 3 is not correct.
