Andaman and Nicobar Islands Map


Andaman and Nicobar Islands Information

Location  

Bay of Bengal 92o to 94o East Longitude 6o to 14o North Latitude

Total  Area       

8,249 sq.km. (Andaman-6408 sq.kms., Nicobar-1841 sq.km.)

Total Islands

572

Inhabited Islands 

36

Capital    

Port Blair

Districts  

3 (Andamans, Nicobars & North and Middle Andaman)

Altitude  

Varies from Sea level to 732 metres Highest Point

Andaman Islands  

Saddle Peak (North Andaman Island : 732 Metres)

Nicobar Islands    

Mount Thullier (Great Nicobar Island : 642 Metres)

Forest Cover   

92 %

Climate   

Tropical and Humid. Humidity ranges between 70% and 90% with a gentle breeze blowing at all times. The weather is generally pleasant   with a minimum temperature of 23°C and maximum 30°C.

Ideal Tourist Season

October to May

For Monsoon Holidays 

June to September

Rainfall  

3000 mms (May to mid-September & November to January)

Relative Humidity  

70% to 90%

Total Population

3,56,152 (As per  Census-2001)

Literacy Rate  

71.07% (As per Census-2001)

Clothing  

Cotton throughout the year

Languages spoken  

Hindi, Bengali, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Punjabi, Nicobarese, English

Distance by Sea (In Kilometres)

 

Between Port Blair & Chennai  

1190

Between Port Blair & Calcutta   

1255

Between Port Blair & Visakhapatnam

1200

Distance by Air (In Kilometres)  

 

Between Calcutta & Port Blair    

1303





Pollution & Industries

Coastal Pollution

Environmental Issues

Hotspots

Water Pollution

There is no water based industry in the A & N Islands.  The water pollution level is very much below the limits.  Port Blair is the only thickly populated town in these islands.  The Municipal Council is responsible to maintain cleanliness in the town.  In absence of a sewerage system in the town, the sewage goes to sea through the drains and gutters. Development of a sewerage system for Port Blair Town is under active consideration. 

Hazardous substances Management

In A & N Islands no industrial unit producing hazardous substances exist.  However, there are three plywood industries which use hazardous chemicals.  Regular inspections by the local Pollution Control Committee are carried out.  All of them have prepared the Emergency Plan and Safety Report as stipulated in the Hazardous Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules, 1989.

Costal Erosion

Over the years the destructive on sequences of sand mining for construction is readily visible in the disappearance of several beaches, with its effects on wildlife on that region, as well as steadily increasing Coastal erosion that even newly installed sea walls are not sufficient to control. Coastal erosion islands are South Andaman, Peel, North, Bartang islands.

Water Pollution/Sedimentation

Sedimentation appears to be the major cause for the decline of most coral reefs which is also associated with large-scale mortality in reefs, reduced coral growth, reduced fertility, and increased mortality of coral planulae and abnormal changes in polyp behaviour (Rogers, 1990). It is also important to establish the extent to which marine protected areas like MGNP are being damaged by murky or polluted water coming from upstream in South Andamans.
A pointer towards the shape of things to come is the observation that mud deposits have been found on the reef area at few places near Port Blair, Navy Bay, Flat Bay, Reef Island, etc. Sedimentation in the recent past in the AN I and elsewhere triggered off infestation of the crown-of-thorns starfish Acanthaster planci which has the potential to destroy whole reefs in a short period (Wood, 1989). Adding to further reefs problem is disease and bleaching imputed to rising turbidity. Protracted bleaching brings down growth rates and could be fatal. Corals particularly the branching types are prone to breakage, especially in the areas open to tourist or fisherfolks and others. Over-collection for construction or for sale as curios and ornamental and edible shellfish is proving to be a bane for the corals.

Fisheries

Marine Fisheries Statistics

S. No

Details

2005

1.

No. of Landing centres

25

2.

No. of Villages

103

3.

Fishermen Population

15,266

4.

No. of Fishermen Families

3275

Ports & Harbors

Details of Jetty

S.No

No. of Jetty

Length (m.)

Min. Width (m.)

Min.  Depth (m.)

1

Phoenix bay I

395

10

5

2

Phoenix bay II

120

12

5

3

Phoenix bay III

200

15

5

4

Phoenix bay IV

140

15

5

5

Fishery Jetty

300

12

5

6

Cholunga Jetty

63

15

5

7

Diglipur

110

20

5

8

Rangat

40

20

5

9

Havelock

84

20

5

10

Konark

180

15

9

11

Katchal

108

18

5

12

Hut Bay

115

20

5

13

Campbell bay

106

20

5

14

Mus in Car nicobar

75

10

8

Demography

Population Data

   S.No                      

Total

%

Rural

%

Urban

%

Number of Census Houses

104,222

100.0

71,836

68.9

32,386

31.1

Vacant Census

10.026

9.6

7,092

9.9

2,934

9.1

Occupied Census Houses

94,196

90.4

64,744

90.1

29,452

90.9