New Delhi, July 28 Land reclamation and creation of artificial islands with higher elevation for naval use could be considered to address the vulnerability of the Naval infrastructure at the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to challenges linked to the rise in sea level and climate change, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Monday.
Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth, in a written reply, said as most of the places at Andaman and Nicobar Islands are less than 5 metre above mean sea level, comprehensive data on frequency of cyclonic storms, impact and travel times of tsunami waves at various ports have been built up by Naval Meteorology and Oceanography (METOC) organisation.
Talking about the vulnerability of Naval infrastructure, especially at Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the MoS said, “Alternatives such as land reclamation and creation of artificial islands with higher elevation over the long term, specifically, for naval use are also proposed.”
He said that to prevent coastal/beach sand erosion, coastal afforestation drives and restoration of mangroves are also undertaken in naval areas with seashore as a measure.
Seth was responding to a question by Ajeet Gopchade on steps taken or planned to address the impact of global warming and climate change on military personnel and defence systems.
The MoS said the Navy’s Maritime Capability Perspective Plan for the development of force levels is tailored to meet emerging challenges, including climate change.
“A Coordination and Monitoring Committee on Climate Change meets periodically to discuss/monitor/oversee the issues related to climate change and global warming in the Indian Navy’s (IN) context. The implications of Global Mean Sea Level Rise on the Indian Ocean Region nations and IN’s operational domain form the primary focus of discussion,” he said.
Seth also said that during the mission planning stage, a detailed analysis of weather conditions likely to be encountered is undertaken to deduce their effect on ships, aircraft, submarines and personnel exposed to the weather conditions.
He added that the planned induction of platforms also takes into account the necessity for the platforms and their weapons, sensors, equipment and systems to perform at the desired operational efficiency during adverse weather conditions.
--IANS
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