Tarun Karthick
Sri Vijaya Puram, 16 August 2025
The Andaman & Nicobar Administration has initiated urgent measures to refurbish the Chatham causeway in order to provide relief to residents of South Andaman. Recognizing the structure’s critical importance to regional connectivity, the Administration has roped in experts from the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Tiruchirappalli, to carry out additional testing and recommend remedial measures.
Preliminary assessments suggest that with appropriate retrofitting, the existing causeway can be made suitable for light vehicular traffic as a temporary measure. The refurbishment project is likely to begin within the next couple of months and is expected to be completed in about six months from its commencement.
Given the safety concerns associated with the ageing causeway, the project is being closely monitored at the highest administrative level. The Administration has also sought the intervention of the Government of India for early sanction and execution of a new Chatham causeway under central funding.
On 8th August 2025, a meeting chaired by the Union Home Secretary was held on the issue, with senior officials from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) and the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) in attendance. The National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) has been assigned the task of constructing the new Chatham causeway, along with the Andaman Marine Drive road. NHIDCL has already awarded the consultancy for the new causeway project.
Reiterating its commitment to public safety and uninterrupted connectivity, the Andaman & Nicobar Administration stated that all possible measures are being taken on a war footing to ensure the early refurbishment of the existing structure for the convenience of the public. (Story Based on PR)
