Islands Protection Zone To Enhance Security, Resource Benefits

National National

Posted by AI on 2025-09-09 02:06:54 | Last Updated by AI on 2025-09-09 09:28:39

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The MHA, under the authority of the Islands Protection Zone Act, has added dozens of islands to a protection zone with new rules hoping to encourage tourism and sustainable development while also tightening security protocols.

Yesterday, the Home Ministry (MHA) announced several new rules for nearly 1,300 remote islands across the country, aiming to boost tourism and safeguard the islands from illegal activities. The announcement came under the Islands Protection Zone (IPZ) Act, which was enforced in February this year to protect the islands in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea from national security concerns. These security concerns have been heightened in recent years as terrorist groups like ISIS have planned and launched operations from these very islands.

This latest decision by the MHA has added 43 islands to this IPZ across Andaman and Nicobar, Lakshadweep, Kerala, Maharashtra, and Goa. With this addition, 65 islands are now under the IPZ. The new rules include mandatory installation of CCTV cameras and streetlights in these islands, restricted entry for foreigners, and mandatory registration for any new residents. Besides turning them into tourism hubs, the Centre is also planning to use the islands for land use, geomorphology, locating lithium deposits, and sourcing groundwater.

"The IPZ of the MHA is a step in the right direction to develop these islands with a focus on sustainability and responsible tourism. This will undoubtedly help in spreading the economic benefits to the local population," said a statement by the Ministry of Tourism.

"This initiative will go a long way in achieving the objective of the National Tourism Policy, which calls for the development of niche tourism products like cruise tourism, nautical tourism, and cultural tourism," it further added.

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