Great Nicobar Project phase to cost 18000 Cr

Subject: Geography

Section: Places in news

Greenfield port at Galathea Bay:

Greenfield port at Galathea Bay’s first phase is estimated at 18,000 crore.
Phase 1 to have 4 million TEUs capacity and a draft of over 20 meters.
Overall project in four phases aiming at 16 million TEUs by 2058;43,000 crore estimated cost.

Includes breakwaters, dredging, berths, storage areas, utilities, equipment procurement, and port colony development.
Landlord model supported by the government; scheduled completion in 2028.

Strategic Importance:

The Galathea Bay Port, due to its strategic location in proximity to the East-West shipping corridor of the world, is suitable to attract both gateway and trans-shipped cargo located strategically between Singapore and Colombo – two major trans-shipment ports on the international sea trade/shipping Route.
Aims to handle trans-shipment cargo, acting as a feeder to major ports and facilitating trade with Bangladesh and Myanmar.

Improvement in Other Ports:

Plans to enhance draft capacity in Deendayal, Vadhavan, Tuticorin, Paradeep, Navi Mumbai, Cochin, and Jawaharlal Nehru Port for larger vessel access by 2030 and 2047.

Great Nicobar is home to:

Two national parks (Galathea Bay and Campbell Bay NPs),
A biosphere reserve (Great Nicobar BR), and
The Shompen and Nicobarese tribal peoples, and
Ex-servicemen from Punjab, Maharashtra, and Andhra Pradesh who were settled on the island in the 1970s.

Galathea Bay National Park:

It is a national park located in the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India. It is located on the island of Great Nicobar in the Nicobar Islands, which lie in the eastern Indian Ocean (Bay of Bengal).
Flora:
- The vegetation consists largely of tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests.
Fauna:
- Notable animal species found in the park include the giant robber crab, megapode and Nicobar pigeon.
- The largest turtle in the world, the leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), nests here.