Feasibility of making a major transit port on the Greater Nicobar Islands

[Yusuf]

Greater Nicobar island is a stones throw from the Malaccas so to speak which is a major shipping lane. What is the feasibility of making a major port/harbour and if at all, why has this not been thought of earlier? I think it could generate a lot of revenue and also provide alternative to other ports like Singapore. We have to come up with world class services obviously which in the future would serve us well.

The secondary military use will always be there.

 

[SHASH2K2]

I guess it will affect Srilankan ports and will act as an alternative to their port. Our governments believe in protecting interests of their rogue neighbors.

 

[Param]

Greater Nicobar island is a stones throw from the Malaccas so to speak which is a major shipping lane. What is the feasibility of making a major port/harbour and if at all, why has this not been thought of earlier? I think it could generate a lot of revenue and also provide alternative to other ports like Singapore. We have to come up with world class services obviously which in the future would serve us well.

The secondary military use will always be there.

I think there is a reason why we have kept much of our remote far flung border territories underdeveloped and less accessible.

 

[SHASH2K2]

I think there is a reason why we have kept much of our remote far flung border territories underdeveloped and less accessible.

can you elaborate that reason ? I believe that more the development more the security in that area. also we can stop Chinese or any external threat in that area itself instead of letting them come to Indian shores. Anyways Andman islands are almost like our immovable aircraft carrier as its very heavily secured area . so why not use it to commercial advantage .

 

[Yusuf]

I guess it will affect Srilankan ports and will act as an alternative to their port. Our governments believe in protecting interests of their rogue neighbors.

The area where this port would lie would have more value than Sri Lankan ports. I dont think the reason you have stated is valid. Its more to do with lack of vision provided off course if making such a port there is feasible.

 

[SHASH2K2]

The area where this port would lie would have more value than Sri Lankan ports. I dont think the reason you have stated is valid. Its more to do with lack of vision provided off course if making such a port there is feasible.

Thats the exact reason. port in Andman island will will better placed to affect business of srilanka . lack of foresight can be the reason but you cannot rule put possibility of government trying to play politics of appeasement to Srilankans .

I guess when navy ships have bases in Andman then commercial ship docs can also be built. with modern construction its just question of having money to carry put such construction.

 

[Param]

Thats the exact reason. port in Andman island will will better placed to affect business of srilanka . lack of foresight can be the reason but you cannot rule put possibility of government trying to play politics of appeasement to Srilankans .

I guess when navy ships have bases in Andman then commercial ship docs can also be built. with modern construction its just question of having money to carry put such construction.

Forget about port in Nicobar to cut business to SL ports, we did not even complete Sethusamudram that could have taken away a large number of ships from SL ports. Ports in TN would have benefited.
Ships travelling fro North BoB have to go around SL to reach Arabian sea. If Sethusamudram had gone thruogh those ships could skip SL and utilize Indian ports.

 

[Dovah]

Andman island will will better placed to affect business of srilanka

What can be a better stranglehold over a country than its business?
Indian line of thought is absurd, our government thinks it would appease Lanka by not building a port, that's rich.
Such niceties are mocked in Geo-Politics.
What we should have done is built a port, trashed Lankan business and then let them have a share of the pie as a "favor".

And its not about what government is at the center, appeasing others at the cost of self interest is in Indian DNA

 

[anoop_mig25]

can some says what the status of "Sethusamudram" has it been completed? and whats use of ports would be in a Greater Nicobar Islands when most ships/boats navigate through srilankas coloumb port to carry out martime navigation

 

[Yusuf]

Forget about port in Nicobar to cut business to SL ports, we did not even complete Sethusamudram that could have taken away a large number of ships from SL ports. Ports in TN would have benefited.
Ships travelling fro North BoB have to go around SL to reach Arabian sea. If Sethusamudram had gone thruogh those ships could skip SL and utilize Indian ports.

That project got held up in other controversies and not due to any appeasement of foreign governments. Let us get this straight, there is no appeasement of other countries when it comes to business. SL is a major producer of tea after India. We are its biggest competitor. Have we stopped producing tea so that we dont compete with SL? Have we stopped producing spices so that SL dont face competition from us?

More than anything else, its lack for foresight and vision. But this is an idea. I need to know the feasibility of making a port in Greater Nicobar. Does it have a natural harbor or can one be made, tides etc.

 

[nrj]

Before making significant commercial investment around Nicobar, shouldnt we consider in depth study of this tsunam-prone region? Correct me if this risk-factor is minor.

 

[Yusuf]

Before making significant commercial investment around Nicobar, shouldnt we consider in depth study of this tsunam-prone region? Correct me if this risk-factor is minor.

That is why i said this is an idea, we need to know the feasibility of it. I think the major source of Tsunami is the Indonesian region with its active volcano. If we make the port on the western part of the island, will it be secure from any damage? The 2004 tsunami took away Indira point with it. but then it was at the tip very close to the epicenter.

wonder if there has been any government studies or plans at all regarding a port on that island and if at all, what did the studies show?

 

[nrj]

There could be something in next 5yr plans or buried somewhere in planning report. I will look around if I can find anything on it.

 

[amoy]

There're quite a few ports challenging Singapore as a regional logistics centre with governmental support, incl Panjung Pelepas of Malaysia, then Port Kelang, Laem Chabang"¦ in addition to Colombo.

One of major challenges for Nicobar Island to grow into a shipping hub may be lack of a comprehensive / sophisticated feeder network so that cargo from various origins may be forwarded to Nicobar for consolidation or transshipping. Consequently investors also have to pour money into infrastructures like feeders along with the port development (That's why port investors often involve world class shipping lines too). Besides it's rather distant from its economic "hinterlands", in contrast to competitors like Colombo.

 

[pankaj nema]

Ports Do not live and operate in a vaccum

Ports exist to serve their HINTERLANDS ie mainlands which will have economic activity and generate wealth and employment

Otherwise ports become white elephants like GWADAR

For making a port in the Andamans we will also have to create a lot of other infrastructure

It will be like making a NEW small city like Singapore

Then it will BECOME A JUICY TARGET for our enemies

Making a military base is much easier , cheaper and it is like we CALLING THE SHOTS in Mallacca starits . No enemy ships will be allowed to cross it in times of war

So making a transit port will serve no LARGER ECONOMIC purpose

OTOH It will make us Vulnerable ,So a bad idea ; a waste of time and MONEY

 

[Yusuf]

We are talking about transshipment ports here.

 

[LETHALFORCE]

A port in the Nicobar islands would be a great idea it would also be a cost savings to ships which have to travel further to ports in Sri Lanka,Bangladesh or Burma,thailand. All of these countries ports would be hit hard but that is competition. As far as the security issue it is almost a non issue Nicobar/Andaman islands are probably one of the safest places in India even safer than any spot on the mainland. It would be a good tourist attraction and adding a casino and other things would attract a lot of buisness.

 

[Yusuf]

Kochi is being developed as such a port as one I talked about for nicobar.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Container_Transshipment_Terminal,_Kochi

Read about it being an alternative to SL ports. So those who have a habit of criticizing the govt for appeasing other countries should rethink.

 

[amoy]

From a purely commercial point of view Nicobar or Cochin is facing keen competition. In the region is there enough cargo to sustain so many mega ports which is capital-intensive?

Colombo is a forerunner also with an optimal geo location --

China Merchants to build, operate 2.4 million TEU Colombo terminal

HONG KONG's China Merchants Holdings (CMHI) has made a deal to build and operate a container terminal in the Sri Lankan capital of Colombo, Dow Jones reports.

The CMHI has signed a deal to invest more than US$500 million, representing a 55 per cent share in the project.

The first phase is to start operations in early 2013, the company said in a statement. Contruction is being contracted to mainland builders China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) and Sino Hydro Corporation.

The Chinese company and Sri Lankan conglomerate Aitken Spence entered into a non-binding agreement with the Sri Lanka Port Authority to design, build, develop, manage, operate, and transfer the South Container Terminal at the Port of Colombo, with a designed capacity of 2.4 million TEU.

Aitken Spence will hold a 30 per cent while the Sri Lankan port authority will hold the remaining 15 per cent, said the report.

 

[LETHALFORCE]

Kochi is being developed as such a port as one I talked about for nicobar.

International Container Transshipment Terminal, Kochi

Read about it being an alternative to SL ports. So those who have a habit of criticizing the govt for appeasing other countries should rethink.

for many ASEAN nations ANN port would be very practical.