Why in news?

The Union Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways has proposed protection and development works at Indira Point and its famous lighthouse, located in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

The Centre, through the Directorate of Lighthouses and Lightships, Sri Vijaya Puram (formerly Port Blair), has sought coastal regulation zone clearance to carry out this proposed work.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Indira Point
• What Is the Protection and Development Proposal?
• Coastal Protection and Regulatory Clearances Needed
• Why Does the Site Need Protection Works?

Indira Point

• Indira Point marks India's southernmost tip. It is located on the Great Nicobar Island (GNI) in the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
• It is an important maritime landmark, lying to the south of Galathea Bay — the site where a transshipment port has been proposed under the larger GNI mega infrastructure project.
• The lighthouse at Indira Point serves as a key landmark on the Singapore-Colombo international maritime route, acting as a navigational aid for mariners.
• It also holds growing importance for safe navigation toward Galathea Bay, given the upcoming transshipment port planned there.
• A Brief History of the Site
  • Indira Point was earlier known as Pygmalion Point.
  • It was renamed in 1985 in memory of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, following her death.
  • The lighthouse itself was commissioned in April 1972 and stands 35 metres tall. Its tower is made of cast iron, painted in distinctive red and white bands.

What Is the Protection and Development Proposal?

• The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, through the Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships, wants to structurally repair the lighthouse and eventually develop tourism infrastructure and facilities around it.
• The stated objective is to "preserve and protect the lighthouse for its functional requirement for safety of mariners, rich legacy of region, for historic and cultural significant for future generations."

What Does the Detailed Project Report Propose?

• According to the detailed project report prepared by IIT Madras (IIT-M), the structural work will include:
  • Repair and strengthening of the lighthouse tower's foundation
  • Construction of an all-weather approach road
  • Shore protection works, including breakwaters around the tower
  • Development of a powerhouse, inspection facility, and staff quarters
  • A compound wall and internal pathways
• Separately, tourism-focused development activities have also been proposed, including eco-tourism initiatives, a convention centre, cafeteria, viewing tower, cycle tracks, an international-standard museum building, and a memorial structure.

Coastal Protection and Regulatory Clearances Needed

• Since the proposed works fall within sensitive coastal habitats, they are subject to protection under the Island Coastal Regulation Zone(ICRZ) Notification, 2019.
• This means the project requires prior approval from both the Union Territory's Coastal Zone Management Authority and the Union Environment Ministry.
• The 2019 Notification provides a regulatory framework to protect coastal stretches, marine habitats, and the livelihoods of fishing and other coastal communities across the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
• As per coastal zone maps and the project proposal, the works fall in the most sensitive ICRZ-IA areas, along with some portions in ICRZ-IVA:
  • ICRZ-IA areas are considered environmentally the most They include mangrove cover, coral and coral reefs, sand dunes, mudflats, national parks and marine parks, notified forests, salt marshes, and turtle nesting grounds.
  • ICRZ-IVA covers the water area and seabed between the low tide line and up to 12 nautical miles seaward.

Why Does the Site Need Protection Works?

• The lighthouse structure has weathered significantly over the years, with much of this damage traced back to the December 2004 earthquake and tsunami.
  • This natural disaster had a massive impact across the entire Andaman and Nicobar island chain, causing land to rise in some areas and sink in others.
• The site at Indira Point specifically experienced permanent land subsidence. Originally, the lighthouse and its associated structures stood at a height of 3.5 metres above mean sea level.
• When the earthquake and tsunami struck, land sinking combined with seawater ingress engulfed the lighthouse tower and destroyed nearby quarters and huts.
• Scientists and authorities estimate that the Nicobar Islands sank by approximately 2.04 metres, submerging the lighthouse's base and foundation in seawater.
• An assessment by IIT-M found that geological and shoreline changes have continuously exposed the lighthouse foundation to seawater and extreme wave conditions during high tide, ever since 2004.
• The lighthouse itself now shows a 3.86° tilt — though this has not been assessed as posing any risk to its structural stability or safety.
• The lighthouse and its surrounding structures have grown increasingly vulnerable due to ongoing coastal erosion, wave action, and shoreline changes — making structural strengthening necessary.

Conclusion

The Indira Point project reflects the government's dual objective of preserving a historically and navigationally significant landmark while promoting tourism at India's southernmost tip.

However, given its location within ecologically fragile ICRZ-IA zones, the project underscores the recurring tension between infrastructure development and coastal ecological protection — a debate that has similarly surrounded the broader Great Nicobar Island infrastructure project.