Andaman And Nicobar: Islands' Infra Set For Remarkable Change In 2024; Two Greenfield Airports, Great Nicobar Project In Pipeline

Andaman and Nicobar Islands are set for a big change in 2024, announced Lt. Governor Admiral DK Joshi, during the Island Tourism Festival (ITF) inauguration on Wednesday (27 December).

Admiral Joshi believes 2024 will bring a significant transformation, especially for tourism and hospitality, boosting the islands.

As the vice-chairman of the Islands Development Agency, Admiral Joshi emphasised the crucial role of infrastructure improvement in promoting the tourism and hospitality sector.

He highlighted recent efforts to enhance infrastructure, attracting investor interest. Admiral Joshi revealed plans for two additional greenfield airports, one in Port Blair (in addition to the existing Veer Savarkar International Airport) and another in Great Nicobar.

To foster better inter-island connectivity and further tourism, the Lt. Governor announced the selection of operators for three sea ports at Long Island, Shaheed Dweep, and Swaraj Dweep, along with the implementation of the UDAN scheme at Diglipur, Car Nicobar, Campbell Bay, and Great Nicobar.

Additionally, he mentioned upcoming projects like the Great Nicobar project and the Middle Strait Bridge, with efforts to expedite the doubling of the national highway to reduce travel time from North to South Andaman, reports Economic Times.

Admiral Joshi assured that ongoing infrastructure improvements, including flight services, would be operational soon. Despite challenges, he highlighted the impressive annual tourist arrivals, projecting the year-end tourist footfall to surpass five lakh by 31 December.

Over the past five-six years, the central government has allocated Rs 95,000 crore for the island's infrastructure development.

Admiral Joshi outlined completed projects such as the Humphrey Strait Creek Bridge, the New Airport Terminal Building, and the undersea cable.