NEW DELHI: The Andaman & Nicobar Islands are poised to become a strategic gateway for India, a world-class transhipment and logistics hub for the Bay of Bengal, and a model of ecological stewardship, with the government approving the ambitious Rs 81,000 crore Great Nicobar Island Development Project (GNIDP), according to a report.
An article in India Narrative highlighted that this holistic project aims to transform the GNI into a multimodal hub comprising a transhipment port, an international airport, a township, and a power plant, with the vision of developing Great Nicobar as a sustainable, green, global destination for business, trade, and leisure.
Its proximity to the Six Degree Channel and the Strait of Malacca and its position along major shipping routes make it a crucial maritime transhipment hub for India.
The dual-use Greenfield International Airport is planned to handle 4,000 passengers per hour at peak capacity and will support both civilian and military flights, the article observes.
The power plant will have a capacity of 450 MVA. It will supply power to the ICTT and the integrated township, which includes two new greenfield cities at Campbell Bay and Galathea Bay, a cruise terminal, luxury resorts, and industrial facilities.
This project marks the first comprehensive attempt to integrate national security objectives with regional economic development in the Bay of Bengal by positioning the islands as a strategic economic hub.
Geography dictated the choice of Great Nicobar Island for the project, as it lies just 40 nautical miles from the East-West shipping line, which runs along the 6-degree channel and passes through the Strait of Malacca.
Galathea Bay, at the southern tip of the island, is thus an ideal location for a transhipment port as it has a deep 20-metre draft, enabling the entry of large super tankers, the article states.
It further points out that with a coastline of about 1,962 kilometres, the A&N islands also generate, under the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the eastern Indian Ocean of about 600,000 square kilometres, roughly a third of India’s total EEZ.
The article also highlights that the project has great strategic significance.
Once the GNIDP is established, combat aircraft can be stationed at the dual-use airport and battleships at the ICTT, keeping the entire area under surveillance from the islands themselves, covering the Andaman Sea and extending to the South China Sea. The 6-degree channel is also used by military ships crossing between the Indian and Pacific Oceans. This fact, too, makes Galathea Bay an attractive option for monitoring military movements. This considerably enhances its strategic significance.
Another point of great strategic significance is the possibility of oil being discovered in the area. Offshore oil exploration in the Islands began only in 2020. Before this, the Andaman & Nicobar group of islands was designated a “no-go zone” for oil.
Besides, the article underscores the great importance that is being given to make the project environment-friendly. As part of the environmental effort, 65 sq km of the 130 sq km of affected forest area is green and will not be touched. The remaining area has 18 lakh trees, of which 7.1 lakh will be cut over the next 30 years.
Before a single tree has been cut, 2.4 lakh trees have already been planted under the “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” scheme. An additional 6 lakh trees will be planted under this scheme by the time phase one starts, making the total number of trees planted more than the number that will be cut.
The issue of the preservation and safety of local tribes is also a high priority. The project is mandated not to disturb them or their habitations, the article added.
--IANS
