PERTH: The shipping ministry is set to launch the National Perspective Plan (NPP) by January next year, aimed at comprehensive and integrated development of coastline. The proposed NPP will identify potential geographical regions to be called coastal economic zones (CEZs), a spatial-economic region around a group of major and minor ports, which could extend along 300-500 km of coastline and 200-300 km inland from the coastline.
Detailed master plans will be prepared for CEZs to identify projects. Officials said 14 CEZs have been identified across several states and perspective plans are under development.
The shipping ministry is in talks with state governments besides coordinating with the ministries of railways, road transport & highways, coal, power, steel, petroleum & natural gas, and department of industrial policy & promotion to provide necessary inputs for NPP and CEZ master plans. It has also asked McKinsey to prepare the plan.
“The plan is a part of Sagarmala initiative. While preparing the NPP, synergy and integration with the planned industrial corridors, dedicated freight corridors, National Highways Development Programme, industrial clusters and SEZs would be ensured,” said a senior official in the ministry. The state industrial development agency will provide land available with major or non-major ports for industrial development.
According to experts, closer proximity of manufacturing centres to ports in China unlike in India where the main hinterland container depot is at an average distance of 700 km from the nearest port is the main reason why export costs in India are more than that in China. Thus, the development of CEZ will help in reducing the transportation cost substantially.
