MoEF gave CRZ clearance for Bay of Bengal Gateway Submarine Cable System

On 24^th September 2014, Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) under the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) granted Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance for Bay of Bengal Gateway Submarine Cable System.

The EAC cleared the Indian part of the 100 Gigabit-per-second (100Gps) Bay of Bengal Gateway submarine cable system project at Mumbai and Chennai.

However, the EAC asked the proponents of the project to follow the strict compliance of CRZ (Coastal Regulation Zone) clearance conditions.

Vodafone Group has already under taken the work at the cable landing point in Mumbai while, Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Company- Infotel Telecom Ltd,  is carrying out the works at Santhome 

Beach, Chennai.

What is Bay of Bengal Gateway Submarine Cable System (BBGCS)

The Bay of Bengal Gateway cable system (BBGCS) is expected to enhance robustness and reliability of international connectivity in the six countries via landing points in Barka (Oman), Fujairah (UAE), Mumbai and Chennai (India), Ratmalana (Sri Lanka), Penang (Malaysia) and Singapore.

BBGCS navigate’s over 8000 km. This project started in May 2013 and is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2014.

The project is being carried out by a conglomerate that includes Alcatel-Lucent, a Euronext and NYSE-listed company, Vodafone Group, Omantel, Emirates Telecommunications Corporation, 

Reliance Infocom, Dialog and Telekom Malaysia.

The Cable system will create a high-speed bridge between Europe, Middle East, Central Asia and the 

Far East, with Singapore being a major cable hub with connection into to the Far East and Barka in Oman with submarine and terrestrial connections to Europe, Africa and the GCC.