Sri Lanka, June 23 -- The Indian government is abandoning a five-year-old project to extend the runway at the naval air station "INS Baaz" on the Car Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal, in view of local environmental and socio-economic issues.

However, the government has decided to proceed with a new INR 130,000 million greenfield civil-cum-military airport at Chingen in Galathea Bay, further South (see map).

According to the Indian media, studies have found that lengthening the existing 4,500-foot runway at INS Baaz to around 10,000 feet would be difficult due to terrain limitations, navigational challenges, and the need for extensive supporting infrastructure.

Officials also concluded that a runway expansion could have an advers...