Great Nicobar Development Project

Centre prepares for Rs 41,000 crore International Trans-shipment Port at Great Nicobar Island: Great Nicobar Development Project.

A massive International Container Trans-shipment Port (ICTP) will be built in Galathea Bay on Great Nicobar Island in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
The first phase, with a handling capacity of 4 million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units, is scheduled to be completed in 2028. (TEUs).
In addition, a TEU is a rough unit of measurement for freight containers.
In the last stage of development, the port’s capacity will be increased to 16 million TEUs.

About
- Development works are scheduled to begin in the fiscal year 2022-23, with the port expected to be operational by 2027-28.
- Furthermore, over the next 30 years, the project will be implemented in three phases.
Purpose
- Firstly, the government’s goal is to capitalise on the island’s geographic advantage for economic and strategic reasons.
- In addition, Great Nicobar is located southwest of Colombo and southeast of Port Klang and Singapore.
- It is located near the East-West international shipping corridor, transporting most of the world’s shipping traffic.
- Furthermore, the projected ICTT could be a hub for cargo ships travelling along this route.
Significance
- Firstly, the idea of developing Great Nicobar Island was first proposed in the 1970s.
- Its significance for national security and the consolidation of the Indian Ocean Region has been emphasised numerous times.
- In recent years, increasing Chinese involvement in the Bay of Bengal and the Indo-Pacific has added urgency to this requirement.

Many environmentalists are concerned about the anticipated enormous infrastructure expansion in an ecologically significant and fragile region.
Additionally, tree cover loss will influence the island’s flora and wildlife.
As well as increased runoff and silt deposits in the ocean, affecting the coral reefs in the region.
Subsequently, Environmentalists have also raised concerns over the island’s loss of mangroves due to the construction project.

Firstly, the Zoological Survey of India is currently determining how much of the reef must be relocated for the project.
Previously, India successfully relocated a coral reef from the Gulf of Mannar to the Gulf of Kutch.
In addition, a leatherback turtle conservation plan is also being implemented.
According to the authorities, the project site is outside the eco-sensitive zones of Campbell Bay and Galathea National Park.

Given their geographical location, the A&N Islands are ideal for collaboration between India and Southeast Asia.
According to most reports, the political will in India and other countries to develop these islands is strong.

Pic Courtesy: The Economic Times

Content Source: Economic Times