Posted on 06/07/2026 6:08:45 AM PDT by BenLurkin
The Great Nicobar Island is part of an archipelago that lies deep in the Indian Ocean.
It's governed by India but is so distant that it takes a flight from the mainland and a 30-hour ferry ride to arrive.
The upcoming Great Nicobar Project is set to transform this sleepy island into a bustling township over the next three decades.
Once complete, the island will have a civilian and military airport, a transshipment port that caters to container ships, a power plant and a new town equipped to host a million tourists a year...
In a press release in May, the Indian government said the goal is "to enhance India's national security, strategic and defense presence, strengthen the islands' economic position, and accelerate holistic development in the region."
It says the project can also help "challenge the dominance" of China in the Indian Ocean. Analysts say the shipping blockade in the Strait of Hormuz stemming from the Iran war has lent an air of urgency.
"If we think about global choke points today, especially in light of conflict in the Strait of Hormuz, India is one of many countries that are looking to secure their own supply lines," says Nitya Labh, a maritime researcher from the think-tank Chatham House.
"The project here is a great opportunity to do that because it sits along such a major international shipping route," she says, referring to the Strait of Malacca, a narrow maritime pathway that lies between Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore.
In a 2023 press release, the Indian government said nearly 75% of India's maritime cargo today is handled at ports outside India. With a new project, it said, "Indian ports can save $200-220 million each year on transshipment cargo" and grab a share of the regional goods traffic.
(Excerpt) Read more at npr.org ...
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Glacial floods?!
Closer to Sumatra than anything.
The island is 356 sq mi. For comparison, Singapore is 288 sq mi, and Hong Kong is 430 sq ft (including 20 sq mi of inland water). It is the largest of the 22 islands in the Nicobar Islands archipelago, all of which belong to India, with a total land area of 711 sq ft.
The Danish East India Company colonized the islands in 1754/56. Denmark’s presence in the islands ended formally on 16 October 1868 when it sold the rights to the Nicobar Islands to the United Kingdom, which, in 1869, made them part of British India.
Pretty much the same in any third and developing world nations.
Pretty much the same in any third and developing world nations.
Glacial melt in the Himalayas floods Indian rivers.
Jobs mean something to normal humans. It is only outsiders that criticize how some “natural” wonder is being civilized.
Back before South Park jumped the shark, there was a great episode about the rainforest, where one of the soldiers lectures to “do good” students trying to ‘save’ the Rainforest:
“You white Americans make me sick! [emphasizes his disgust with thumps on the table] You waste food, oil, and everything else because you’re so rich, and then you tell the rest of the world to save the rainforest because you like its pretty flowers.”
The ferry will be a nice as their trains.
Give me the Dramamine concession stand.
https://nicobartimes.com/local-news/indias-first-offshore-mineral-auction-puts-great-nicobar-in-the-spotlight/amp/ (November 2024)
In a historic move, India has initiated its first-ever auction of offshore mineral blocks, marking a significant step towards tapping the nation’s vast undersea resources. Among the 13 blocks up for bidding, seven located off the coast of Great Nicobar in the Andaman Sea have drawn particular attention due to their richness in critical minerals essential for advanced technologies and green energy solutions.
The seven blocks in the West Sewell Ridge near Great Nicobar contain polymetallic nodules and crusts, a treasure trove of critical minerals such as cobalt, nickel, copper, manganese, and rare earth elements (REE). These resources are crucial for high-demand sectors, including the production of electric vehicle batteries, renewable energy systems, and cutting-edge electronics.
Located within India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), these blocks are part of a broader effort to harness the mineral wealth beneath India’s 2.37 million sq. km of maritime territory. The Ministry of Mines emphasized the strategic importance of these resources, which could help reduce India’s dependence on imported minerals and bolster domestic supply chains.
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