Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation (ANIIDCO) 

Syllabus: GS3/ Infrastructure

Context

• The qualifications of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation (ANIIDCO) has come into question after it got permission to do a mega infrastructure project in Great Nicobar.

Background

• The Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation (ANIIDCO) is the project proponent for the NITI Aayog-promoted ₹72,000 crore mega infrastructure project in Great Nicobar,
  • It is the southernmost island in the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago.
• The 910 sq km island is not just a biodiversity hotspot but also home to indigenous communities with special rights and is also located in one of the most tectonically active zones.
• The Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) under the Union environment ministry found that ANIIDCO lacked internal environmental governance systems.
  • Despite this, the EAC granted environmental clearance to ANIIDCO in 2022.
  • Also it did not even have the human resources needed to oversee the project.

The Great Nicobar project

• The Project involves developing an International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICTT), an international airport, township development, and a 450 MVA gas and solar-based power plant on the island.
• The ICTT is expected to allow Great Nicobar to participate in the regional and global maritime economy by becoming a major player in cargo transshipment. 
• A proposed “greenfield city” will tap into both the maritime and tourism potential of the island.
• The site for the proposed ICTT and power plant is Galathea Bay on the southeastern corner of Great Nicobar Island, where there is no human habitation.

What is ANIIDCO?

• ANIIDCO is a quasi-government agency, incorporated in 1988 under the Companies Act. 
• Its objective is to develop and commercially exploit natural resources for the balanced and environment friendly development of the territory.
• Its main activities include trading of petroleum products, Indian made foreign liquor and milk, managing tourism resorts and infrastructure development for tourism and fisheries. 

Andaman and Nicobar Islands – Location: The islands are located 1,300 km southeast of the Indian mainland in the Bay of Bengal. 1. It extends from 6° 45′ N to 13° 41′ N and from 92° 12′ E to 93° 57′ E. – This archipelago is composed of more than 500 big and small islands, which are divided into two distinct groups of islands – The Andaman Islands and the Nicobar Islands.‘ 1. Ten Degree Channel’ separates the Andaman Islands in the north from the Nicobar Islands in the south. The Andaman Islands 1. These islands are divided into three major sub-groups – North Andaman, Middle Andaman, and South Andaman. 2. The capital city of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands Port Blair is located in South Andaman. The Nicobar Islands – These islands are divided into three major sub-groups – Northern Group, Central Group, and Southern Group.The Great Nicobar is the largest and the southernmost island in the group located in the Southern Group. – India’s southernmost point ‘Indira Point’ is located at the southern tip of the Great Nicobar. Other Features – Most of these islands have a volcanic base and are made of tertiary sandstone, limestone, and shale. 1. The Barren and Narcondam islands, north of Port Blair, are volcanic islands. 2. Some of the islands are fringed with coral reefs. Saddle Peak (737 m) in North Andaman is the highest peak in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. – The names of the following three islands were changed in 2018: 1. Ross Island – renamed as Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Dweep 2. Neil Island – renamed as Shaheed Dweep 3.Havelock Island – renamed as Swaraj Dweep

Source: TH