Why in the News?
The Chief of Staff, Southern Naval Command, announced that the Indian Navy is setting up a detachment on Bitra Island, and the facility is almost completed. This will make Bitra the third island in Lakshadweep to host a defence establishment.
About Bitra Island
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Key Features
- Cultural Significance: Hosts a shrine of Malik Mulla, an Arab saint believed to be buried there.
- Important pilgrimage site for locals across Lakshadweep.
- Ecology: Once covered with thick shrubs.
- Historically a major breeding ground for seabirds, which declined in the 19th century due to human interference.
- Climate: Similar to Kerala’s climate.
- Hottest months: March–May
- Temperature: 25°C – 35°C
- Humidity: 70–76% throughout most of the year.
Strategic Importance
- Located in a key position in the Arabian Sea, critical for maritime security.
- Enhances surveillance over sea lanes close to India’s western maritime frontier.
- Adds to Lakshadweep’s defence infrastructure:
- INS Dweeprakshak – Kavaratti
- INS Jatayu – Minicoy
- New Navy detachment – Bitra Island
Prelims Pointers
- Bitra = smallest inhabited island of Lakshadweep
- Features a shrine of Malik Mulla
- Large lagoon-to-land ratio
- Strategically vital for India’s naval presence in the Arabian Sea
- Climate closely resembles Kerala
| Which one of the following pairs of islands is separated from each other by the ‘Ten Degree Channel’? (2014)
(a) Andaman and Nicobar (b) Nicobar and Sumatra (c) Maldives and Lakshadweep (d) Sumatra and Java |
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