Nayachar
Encyclopedia
Nayachar is an island in the Hooghly River, off Haldia
in Purba Medinipur
in the India
n state
of West Bengal
. The island inhabited by few fishermen, has shot into the larger public view as the proposed site of the major chemical hub
initiated by the erstwhile Left Front alliance led West Bengal Government. The hub was earlier proposed at Nandigram
. Following the West Bengal State Assembly Election in 2011, the All India Trinamool Congress and Indian National Congress coalition under Mamata Banerjee led new West Bengal Government
announced on 19th August 2011 that this project will be scrapped.
word char means a strip of sandy land rising out of the bed of a river or the sea above water-level. Naya means new.
In government files, the island is “uninhabited” although there are around 2,500 people living on the island, mostly as “encroachers”. Seven years ago 13 fishery cooperatives were set up, 315 ponds were dug and many of the 400 families on the island work in these. The rest catch fish on their own, either in the river or in small ditches that fill up with small fish during high tide. The government or fisheries department never gave them any right to the land or ponds. They were only allowed to fish around. Some 200 fishermen arrive every morning on the ferry service, work in the co-operatives and leave in the evening. In 2007, the fisheries department has even ended the contracts with the cooperatives.
The state Fisheries Department has demanded Rs 220 million from the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC) for winding up its project at Nayachar, as it has to repay a loan it had taken from Government of India for the purpose.
The proposal of the Salim Group
for chemical hub was cleared in principle by the board of approvals of the Union Commerce Ministry, Government of India, in October 2006.
Other places where similar chemical hubs are being set up in India are: Mangalore
in Karnataka
,Panipat
in Haryana
, and Achutapuram
in Andhra Pradesh
.
, Haldia Petrochemicals and Mitsubishi Chemicals, all petrochemical companies, are operating in Haldia. However, for setting up a chemical hub there under the ambit of the Petroleum, Chemical, Petrochemical Investment Region policy of the Government of India
, the West Bengal State Government would need to acquire an additional 10000 acres (40 km²) of land, in addition to the existing 15000 acres (61 km²) in Haldia,
Nayachar has emerged as the most logical option for a major chemical hub
as the land belongs to the state government and the area being largely uninhabited. It will neither entail land acquisition nor require population displacement.
The chemical hub would be set up as a joint venture project of West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation Ltd and New Kolkata International Development. Indian Oil Corporation would be the anchor investor there. The NKID comprises three companies including the Salim Group
of Indonesia
.
The state fisheries department had sought the opinion of the Geological Survey of India tegarding the island. GSI had said that the soft land, apart from being vulnerable to earthquake, cyclone and tsunami, is also “young”, not more than 60 years.
The State Industries Minister Nirupom Sen has said that there was no geological data after 1985 and studies would have to be carried out. He added, “The technology to consolidate the soil on such islands is available. They have done it on an island in Singapore.” The chemical hub at Nayachar has been proposed on the basis of experience and expertise in Jurong Island
of Singapore
.
will take at least six months to complete the detailed geological study in Nayachar after the Government of West Bengal
gives a ‘go-ahead’ for a geo-technical survey and the two sides sign a memorandum of understanding. No site-specific study was ever carried out there, except for a routine one in 1985. Nayachar is located in a dynamic zone and it is difficult to predict what may happen to the island in future.
However, Ghoramara island, close to Nayachar island has gradually reduced in size over the past few years.
However, the comparison of Nayachar with Jurong is inappropriate, to say the least. Original seven islets of Jurong, off Singapore, is underlain by hard sandstones of Late Triassic Jurong Formation. It is situated in a micro-tidal sea and is not a riverine island as the Nayachar. Geologic, geomorphic and hydrodynamic setting of the two are not comparable. In spite of the diffeent setting, the extensive geotechnical survey undertaken for Jurong is not comparable with absolute lack of similar surveys so far in Nayachar. Without an appropriate understanding of its setting it appears unwise to try to float a large project on this small riverine island.
Haldia
Haldia has a typical moderate climate with winter temperatures ranging from a low of around 7 degrees Celsius to a high of 22 degrees Celsius. Winters are chilly and is when the residents hold the Haldia Utsav festival. Summers can be very hot and humid. Usual summer temperatures in May, the...
in Purba Medinipur
Purba Medinipur
Purba Medinipur district , or East Midnapore district is an administrative unit in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the southernmost district of Burdwan division – one of the three administrative divisions of West Bengal. The headquarter is located at Tamluk...
in the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n state
States and territories of India
India is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.-List of states and territories:...
of West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
. The island inhabited by few fishermen, has shot into the larger public view as the proposed site of the major chemical hub
Chemical industry
The chemical industry comprises the companies that produce industrial chemicals. Central to the modern world economy, it converts raw materials into more than 70,000 different products.-Products:...
initiated by the erstwhile Left Front alliance led West Bengal Government. The hub was earlier proposed at Nandigram
Nandigram
Nandigram is a rural area with two commuunity development blocks in Haldia subdivision of Purba Medinipur district of the Indian state of West Bengal. It is located about 70 km south-west of Kolkata, on the south bank of the Haldi River, opposite the industrial city of Haldia...
. Following the West Bengal State Assembly Election in 2011, the All India Trinamool Congress and Indian National Congress coalition under Mamata Banerjee led new West Bengal Government
Government of West Bengal
The Government of West Bengal also known as the State Government of West Bengal, or locally as State Government, is the supreme governing authority of the Indian state of West Bengal and its 19 districts...
announced on 19th August 2011 that this project will be scrapped.
Etymology
The BengaliBengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
word char means a strip of sandy land rising out of the bed of a river or the sea above water-level. Naya means new.
Fisheries
In December 1987, then land and land reforms minister Benoy Chowdhury had ordered the island handed over to the fisheries department. The order was carried out in March 1988. Benfish, the official agency of the fisheries department, undertook its development. The island was renamed Meendwip, meaning fish island, but nothing much seems to have happened.In government files, the island is “uninhabited” although there are around 2,500 people living on the island, mostly as “encroachers”. Seven years ago 13 fishery cooperatives were set up, 315 ponds were dug and many of the 400 families on the island work in these. The rest catch fish on their own, either in the river or in small ditches that fill up with small fish during high tide. The government or fisheries department never gave them any right to the land or ponds. They were only allowed to fish around. Some 200 fishermen arrive every morning on the ferry service, work in the co-operatives and leave in the evening. In 2007, the fisheries department has even ended the contracts with the cooperatives.
The state Fisheries Department has demanded Rs 220 million from the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC) for winding up its project at Nayachar, as it has to repay a loan it had taken from Government of India for the purpose.
Concept
The Government of India introduced the concept of chemical hubs, calling them Mega-Chemical Industrial Estates (MCIES) in 2005, but a year later enlarged it and introduced the concept of Petroleum, Chemicals ad Petrochemicals Investment region (PCPIRs). A PCPIR was defined as a specifically delineated investment region with an area of around 250 km² planned for the establishment of manufacturing facilities for domestic and export led production in petroleum, chemicals. Out of this around 40 percent of the total region was expected to have the hub. It is expected Haldia-Nayachar would attract total investment of Rs. 440 billion.The proposal of the Salim Group
Salim Group
The Salim Group is Indonesia's biggest conglomerate with assets including Indofood Sukses Makmur, the world's largest instant noodle producer, and Bogasari, a large flour-milling operation...
for chemical hub was cleared in principle by the board of approvals of the Union Commerce Ministry, Government of India, in October 2006.
Other places where similar chemical hubs are being set up in India are: Mangalore
Mangalore
Mangalore is the chief port city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located about west of the state capital, Bangalore. Mangalore lies between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghat mountain ranges, and is the administrative headquarters of the Dakshina Kannada district in south western...
in Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
,Panipat
Panipat
Panipat بَنِبَت is an ancient and historic city in Panipat district, Haryana state, India. It is 90 km north from Delhi and 169 km south of Chandigarh on NH-1. The three battles fought at the city were turning points in Indian history. The city is famous in India by the name of "City of...
in Haryana
Haryana
Haryana is a state in India. Historically, it has been a part of the Kuru region in North India. The name Haryana is found mentioned in the 12th century AD by the apabhramsha writer Vibudh Shridhar . It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south...
, and Achutapuram
Achutapuram
Achutapuram is a village and a Mandal in Visakhapatnam district in the state of Andhra Pradesh in India.-Villages:* Atchuthapuram * Bhogapuram * Cheemalapalli * Chippada * Chodapalli * Dibbapalem * Dopperla * Dosuru* Duppituru * Haripalem...
in Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
.
Haldia-Nayachar complex
Indian Oil CorporationIndian Oil Corporation
Indian Oil Corporation Limited, or IndianOil, is an Indian state-owned oil and gas corporation with its headquarters are in Mumbai, India. It is India’s largest commercial enterprise, ranked 98th on the Fortune Global 500 list for 2011...
, Haldia Petrochemicals and Mitsubishi Chemicals, all petrochemical companies, are operating in Haldia. However, for setting up a chemical hub there under the ambit of the Petroleum, Chemical, Petrochemical Investment Region policy of the Government of India
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
, the West Bengal State Government would need to acquire an additional 10000 acres (40 km²) of land, in addition to the existing 15000 acres (61 km²) in Haldia,
Nayachar has emerged as the most logical option for a major chemical hub
Chemical industry
The chemical industry comprises the companies that produce industrial chemicals. Central to the modern world economy, it converts raw materials into more than 70,000 different products.-Products:...
as the land belongs to the state government and the area being largely uninhabited. It will neither entail land acquisition nor require population displacement.
The chemical hub would be set up as a joint venture project of West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation Ltd and New Kolkata International Development. Indian Oil Corporation would be the anchor investor there. The NKID comprises three companies including the Salim Group
Salim Group
The Salim Group is Indonesia's biggest conglomerate with assets including Indofood Sukses Makmur, the world's largest instant noodle producer, and Bogasari, a large flour-milling operation...
of Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
.
Pitfalls
However, Nayachar comes under the coastal regulation zone where industries are not permitted under the existing environment rules. Once the proposal clears three environmental stages, a bridge will have to be built to link the island to Haldia.The state fisheries department had sought the opinion of the Geological Survey of India tegarding the island. GSI had said that the soft land, apart from being vulnerable to earthquake, cyclone and tsunami, is also “young”, not more than 60 years.
The State Industries Minister Nirupom Sen has said that there was no geological data after 1985 and studies would have to be carried out. He added, “The technology to consolidate the soil on such islands is available. They have done it on an island in Singapore.” The chemical hub at Nayachar has been proposed on the basis of experience and expertise in Jurong Island
Jurong Island
Jurong Island is an artificial island located to the southwest of the main island of Singapore, off Jurong Industrial Estate. It was formed from the amalgamation of seven offshore islands, the islands of Pulau Ayer Chawan, Pulau Ayer Merbau, Pulau Merlimau, Pulau Pesek, Pulau Pesek Kechil , Pulau...
of Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
.
Geo-technical survey
GSIGeological Survey of India
Geological Survey of India , established in 1851 is a government organization in India which is an attached office to the Ministry of Mines of Union Government of India for conducting geological surveys and studies. It is one of the oldest of such organizations in the world and the second oldest...
will take at least six months to complete the detailed geological study in Nayachar after the Government of West Bengal
Government of West Bengal
The Government of West Bengal also known as the State Government of West Bengal, or locally as State Government, is the supreme governing authority of the Indian state of West Bengal and its 19 districts...
gives a ‘go-ahead’ for a geo-technical survey and the two sides sign a memorandum of understanding. No site-specific study was ever carried out there, except for a routine one in 1985. Nayachar is located in a dynamic zone and it is difficult to predict what may happen to the island in future.
However, Ghoramara island, close to Nayachar island has gradually reduced in size over the past few years.
However, the comparison of Nayachar with Jurong is inappropriate, to say the least. Original seven islets of Jurong, off Singapore, is underlain by hard sandstones of Late Triassic Jurong Formation. It is situated in a micro-tidal sea and is not a riverine island as the Nayachar. Geologic, geomorphic and hydrodynamic setting of the two are not comparable. In spite of the diffeent setting, the extensive geotechnical survey undertaken for Jurong is not comparable with absolute lack of similar surveys so far in Nayachar. Without an appropriate understanding of its setting it appears unwise to try to float a large project on this small riverine island.