The Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, has suggested that the government create an appropriate corridor for laying submarine cable systems in the coastal area for better management and to avoid conflict with various stakeholders considering the increasing number of international cable landing on the Chennai coast.
The EAC deliberated on a proposal to lay a submarine cable system spanning 8,100 km for the Myanmar/Malaysia-India-Singapore Transit (MIST) landing near M.R.C. Nagar in Chennai and Versova in Mumbai. The Committee recommended the project for CRZ clearance with certain conditions.
The MIST is an international submarine cable communication network that will traverse undersea to connect India with countries such as Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. It will provide secure, reliable, robust and affordable telecom facilities in Asia with the main trunk route being from Tuas in Singapore to Mumbai in India, the project proponent submitted.