New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi  announced that the strategically important Great Nicobar island will get a trans-shipment port with an investment of Rs 10,000 crore. The announcement by PM Modi came during the inauguration of the 2,300 km long submarine optical fibre cable connecting Andaman and Nicobar islands with Chennai.

To be located at a strategic location in Indian Ocean, the new port will enable large ships to anchor, increasing India’s share in maritime trade and creating new employment opportunities. The project, once realised, could become an alternative for Colombo port as a major trans-shipment hub given its location and closeness to the channel connecting China, Japan and Australia.

A detailed project report (DPR) for the building of a transshipment port in the South Bay in Great Nicobar Island was prepared several years ago. The Island Development Authority has awarded the task of re-evaluating the DPR to WAPCOS, which is a public sector undertaking under the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti.