Submarine cable system needs Defence Ministry nod

CHENNAI: The Department of Telecommunications, which is proposing to lay a high-speed internet submarine cable connecting Chennai with eight islands of Andaman and Nicobar, will have to obtain a clearance from the Defence Ministry as the cable passes through military firing exercise areas.

The 2,246 km-long cable route lies along or close to two military firing practice areas — one off the Chennai landfall and other east of the Great Andaman Island. While granting Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance on December 21, the Union Environment Ministry had made it clear that it was mandatory to obtain defence clearance before the commencement of work.

Besides, DoT will also have to take permissions from the Standing Committee of National Board for Wildlife and a Consent to Establish from the State Pollution Control Board. Chennai-based National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) will conduct an Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) in areas where the cable is likely to pass through corals. 

It will submit the EIA to the ministry’s regional office within three months. NIOT will also be providing technical support for beach and coral restoration in both Andaman and Nicobar and Chennai section of the work, said MoEF senior official W Bharat Singh. Environment Ministry has accorded CRZ clearance only for four segments, out of total eight.

“The clearance has been granted for — Chennai to Port Blair, Port Blair to Little Andaman Island, Port Blair to Havelock Island and Havelock to Long Island segments,” the ministry said in a letter. 
Clearance for other four segments — Little Andaman to Car Nicobar, Car Nicrobar to Kamorta, Kamorta to Great Nicobar and Long Island to Rangat — will be granted at a later stage. 

The ministry also asked DoT to carry out cable laying operations through slow shipping methods where the speed of ship should not exceed 10 knots (18.6 kmph) so that risk of encountering or collision with mammals is avoided. 

“Survey and installation operations shall be stopped in case any marine mammals such as whales are observed within one km area”, the ministry has said in its communication to Universal Service Organisation Fund of DoT.

Meanwhile, DoT has revised cost estimate of the project from the earlier Rs 71 crore to Rs 122.30 crore. The objective of the project is to provide secure, robust and affordable telecom facilities in A&N islands. The cable carries a bandwidth speed of 100 Gbps. Japanese Nippon Electric Company will execute the project.