Port Blair, Dec 03: The Commander in Chief of Andaman and Nicobar Command, Mr. P K Roy today said that defence forces at ANC are committed and well prepared to protect the islands.
Addressing a press conference today the CINCAN today said that A N Islands are strategically located. The strategic importance is due to its location 25 to 30% of country’s EEZ with these Islands. The rich resources of marine wealth, proximately to the littorals, potential for oil and natural gas and a growing globed tourism destination make its importance greater. These are opportunities and also challenges that makes Andaman and Nicobar Islands vulnerable to mainly sub-conventional threats and also to conventional threats as well. Also, with India’s look east policy, Andaman and Nicobar region has a great significance.
“The challenges in front of us are unique and different from that of the main land. The rising incidents of poaching and human trafficking are causes of concern. Apart from apprehending almost 50 poachers in the current year we have rendered aid to more than 1500 people under distress at sea. We also need to address the threat from illegal immigrants. With almost 90% of area forest and with environmental protection related issues, infrastructure development is a major challenge in front of us,” he said.
The CINCAN said that with these strategic importance and challenges, Andaman and Nicobar Command has a clearly defined role to play. Safeguarding these emerald islands as well as india’s maritime boundaries and airspace, search and rescue operations at sea, anti-poaching operations, vigil against human trafficking and illegal migration and disaster management are important tasks assigned to ANC.
“To meet these roles bestowed on us, we have a well-defined organizational structure. We amalgamate and synergise the working of the four components i.e. Army, navy, Air Force and Coast Guard under the unified command resulting in optimum utilization of resources and an integrated approach to roles and responsibilities. The recent incident of a Coast Guard Dornier on routine patrol reporting sighting of suspicious boat near barren islands and subsequent launching of a joint operation involving sea-air coordinated search though Naval and Coast Guard Ships, Dornier aircrafts and joint anti poaching team of army and marine police personal resulted is apprehension of 7 poachers is a best example of joint operations that we undertake as unified command,” he said.
He said that the command has also played a crucial role in the Defence Diplomacy through co-ordinated Patrols with our littorals.
“MILAN, as you aware, is an area for extending our defence diplomacy and to promote goodwill among neighbouring and participating nations,” the CINCAN said.
He said that the Command has also taken many steps towards supporting the local population.
“TA battalion is primarily constituted of the local youth. Further, we have been able to generate jobs for the local population at our establishments, enhance economic development through award of various contracts to local vendors, empowering the youth through pre-employment training, conduct of medical comps even at far flung islands and our continued support to the ex-service men are example to some of our efforts to shoulder the responsibility of welfare of local population,” he said.
