Centre proposes protection and development works at Indira Point

The Union Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways has proposed protection and development works at Indira Point and its historic lighthouse in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The project will be implemented through the Directorate of Lighthouses and Lightships, Sri Vijaya Puram (formerly Port Blair).

CRZ Clearance Required

• The proposed works require prior clearance under the Island Coastal Regulation Zone (ICRZ) Notification, 2019, as they fall within ecologically sensitive coastal areas. Approval is required from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Coastal Zone Management Authority and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
• According to coastal zone maps, the project area falls mainly under ICRZ-IA and partly under ICRZ-IVA categories. ICRZ-IA includes the most environmentally sensitive areas such as mangroves, coral reefs, sand dunes, mudflats, national and marine parks, Notified forests etc.. ICRZ-IVA covers the water area and seabed from the Low Tide Line (LTL) up to 12 nautical miles on the seaward side.

About Indira Point

• Indira Point is the southernmost point of India, located on Great Nicobar Island in the Union Territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It is situated south of Galathea Bay, where the proposed Great Nicobar transshipment port forms part of the mega infrastructure project.
• Indira Point was formerly known as Pygmalion Point. It was renamed Indira Point in 1985 in memory of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
• The lighthouse was commissioned in April 1972. It stands 35 metres high and is maintained by the Directorate of Lighthouses and Lightships
• The Indira Point Lighthouse serves as a crucial navigational aid on the Singapore–Colombo international maritime route, guiding ships through one of the world’s busiest sea lanes.

Source: IE

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