Context: The Home Minister of India addressed the 61st raising day of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) recently and said that the presence of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) in Siliguri Corridor comes as an assurance to the entire country.
Relevance of the Topic: Prelims: Location and Significance of Siliguri Corridor.
About Siliguri Corridor
The Siliguri corridor (also referred to as the Chicken’s Neck) is a narrow strip of land in West Bengal that connects the Northeastern States to the rest of the country.
The area has a width of about 20 km and length of 60 km and is not far away from China.
Importance:
Connectivity: The Siliguri Corridor is the only land route connecting the eight northeastern states of India—Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Tripura—to the Indian mainland. All land transportation between these states and the rest of India passes through this corridor.
Military Significance: The corridor is crucial for national security as it allows for the movement of military personnel and supplies to sensitive areas near international borders with China and Bangladesh. Control over this corridor is essential for India's defense strategy, especially considering increasing tensions with China and unstable Bangladesh.
Economic Role: The Siliguri Corridor facilitates trade and commerce not only within India but also with neighboring countries like Nepal and Bhutan. It is a key route for transporting goods between these regions, contributing to local economies.
Context: Cambodia has launched $1.7 bn Funan Techo Canal mega connectivity project.
About Funan Techo Canal Project
The Funan-Techo Canal Project aims to connect Cambodia's capital Phnom Penh with the coastal town of Kep located on the Gulf of Thailand by a 180 km canal.
As per the plans, the canal will be 100 metres wide and 5.4 metres deep allowing for two shipping lanes.
Currently, ocean-bound shipping from Phnom Penh passes through Vietnam's Mekong Delta to ports near the Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam.
The Funan Techo Canal will provide Cambodia an alternative route for sea trade and reduce its dependence of Vietnamese ports.
The Canal project is part of the broader Belt and Road Project of China and will be built with Chinese assistance.
Context: Myanmar's junta is reviving plans for a controversial $3.6 billion Chinese-backed Myitsone dam. The project was halted in 2011 due to public outcry over environmental damage and limited domestic benefits. The Myitsone dam project will see collaboration between Myanmar officials and China's SPIC. Despite warnings from past assessments and ongoing regional conflicts, the junta's move aligns with China's Belt and Road Initiative, emphasizing geopolitical interests over local concerns.
Myitsone Dam
Myitsone Hydroelectric Project is situated at the convergence of Mali and N'Mai rivers in Burma.
It is part of a larger plan comprising seven dams along the Irrawaddy, Mali Hka, and N'Mai Hka rivers, with a total capacity of 13,360 MW.
Once completed, Myitsone dam was projected to rank as the 15th largest hydropower station globally, with a capacity of 6,000 MW.
Located 37 kilometers from Myitkyina, the capital of Kachin State, the area is renowned for its ecological significance, deemed one of the world's eight biodiversity hotspots.
The dam site is situated close to the earthquake prone Sagaing fault line, raising concerns about seismic risks.
Submergence resulting from the dam will inundate significant historical and cultural sites along the Mali and N'mai Hka rivers, including areas regarded as the birthplace of Burma.
Notable landmarks like historical churches, temples, and the sacred banyan tree at the confluence of the Mali Hka and N'Mai Hka rivers will be submerged, impacting local heritage.
Irrawaddy river
Origin: The Irrawaddy River, also known as the Ayeyarwady River, originates from the confluence of two rivers, the Mali and N'mai, in the Kachin State of Myanmar (Burma).
Course: From its origin in the Himalayas, the Irrawaddy River flows southward through Myanmar, forming a major river basin. It traverses the central plains of Myanmar, passing through major cities like Mandalay and Bagan, before flowing into the Andaman Sea.
Length: The river stretches approximately 2,170 kilometres in length.
Ecological Features:
Biodiversity Hotspot: The Irrawaddy River basin is rich in biodiversity, hosting various species of flora and fauna, including endangered species like the Irrawaddy dolphin.
Important Bird Area: The river and its surrounding areas serve as crucial habitats for numerous bird species, making it an important bird area for conservation efforts.
Rivers of South and East Asia
South Asian Rivers:
Brahmaputra River (China, India, and Bangladesh) - Length: 3,848 km
Ganges River (India and Bangladesh) - Length: 2,525 km
Indus River (China, India, and Pakistan) - Length: 3,180 km
East Asian Rivers:
Yellow River (China) - Length: 5,464 km
Yangtze River (China) - Length: 6,300 km
Mekong River (China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam) - Length: 4,350 km
Importance: One of the longest rivers in Asia, the Mekong is vital for transportation, agriculture, and fishing in the region. It supports the livelihoods of millions of people and is a crucial waterway for trade.
Chao Phraya River:
Country: Thailand
Length: Approximately 372 km
Importance: The Chao Phraya River is significant for Thailand, particularly the Bangkok metropolitan area. It serves as a transportation route, a source of water for irrigation, and plays a role in flood control.
Salween River (Nu River):
Countries: China, Myanmar, Thailand
Length: Approximately 2,815 km
Importance: The Salween River is one of the longest free-flowing rivers in Southeast Asia. It sustains diverse ecosystems and provides water for irrigation, hydropower generation, and local communities' livelihoods.
Red River (Hong Ha):
Countries: China, Vietnam
Length: Approximately 1,149 km
Importance: The Red River is significant for both China and Vietnam. It supports agriculture, transportation, and hydroelectric power generation. In Vietnam, the river delta is crucial for rice cultivation and is densely populated.
Panama Canal is a man made waterway in Panama connecting the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.
It is 82 km long and has been constructed by digging up the Isthmus of Panama connecting North America and South America continents.
The Panama Canal is not dug at sea level but above sea level to save on the drilling cost. Panama Canal is made up of a system of locks that raises the ship to the level of Gatun Lake (26 meters above sea level). In addition, the water that feeds our Canal is fresh, because it comes mainly from this lake, and this determines the draft along its channel.
The Canal locks at each end lift ships up to Gatun Lake, an artificial freshwater lake 26 m above sea level created by damming up the Chagres River and Lake Alajuela to reduce the amount of excavation work required for the canal, and then lower the ships at the other end. An average of 200,000,000 litres of fresh water are used in a single passing of a ship.
Note: Suez Canal has been dug at Sea level. Thus, the Suez Canal never faces the risk of drying up as it is fed by ocean water that moves in the Suez Canal at sea level.
Panama Canal is a key conduit for international maritime trade. It has been a major thoroughfare for international trade for over 100 years, connecting nearly 2,000 ports in 170 countries.
Drought in Panama: Since the start of 2023, traffic through the canal has slowed down due to a prolonged drought that has diminished the amount of available water used to fill the canal locks, which require 101,000 cubic metres of water to fill. The water is drawn from the nearby lakes.
Context: Russia and China appear to be supporting UAE in its claim over the three small disputed islands located near the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf. This has been seen well by Iran's government.
Three Disputed Islands: Abu Musa, Greater Tunb & Lesser Tunb
Abu Musa, Greater Tunb and Lesser Tunb are three small islands located near the entrance of Strait of Hormuz in Persian Gulf.
Only Abu Musa is inhabited by small population and all three have Iranian naval and airforce presence.
Though the size of these islands is very small, the strategic importance of these islands is that due to the greater depth of sea large oil tankers and ships pass between Abu Musa and Greater and Lesser Tunb islands.
Currently, these three islands are under the administrative control of Iran.
Iran-UAE dispute over the islands
Iran's claim: According to Iran, these islands have historically under its control. In 1971, the then Shah of Iran dispatched Royal Navy to these three islands after the British withdrew its forces from UAE. These three islands fell into British hands in 1921, prior to which they were under Persian control.
UAE's claim: UAE maintains that these three islands were part of the territory which later became UAE. Iran illegally annexed these three islands just two days before UAE was born. UAE has even raised this issue in UNSC.
Context: Post the Israeli military offensive against Hamas in Gaza strip region of Palestine the peace and security of the middle east region has again started to appear fragile. Houthi rebels based in Yemen have started conducting a series of attacks using UAVs and ballistic missiles on commercial and merchant shipping vessels in the Southern Red Sea. To counter this threat by Houthi rebels against merchant vessels, US has announced establishment of Operation Prosperity Guardian under the Combined Maritime Forces.
Operation Prosperity Guardian
Operation Prosperity Guardian is a multinational security initiative for countering the threat posed by Houthis rebels against merchant vessels and ensuring the foundational principle of freedom of navigation in the Red Sea.
Countries like USA, UK, Bahrain, Canada, Netherlands, Norway and Seychelles will come together to jointly address security challenges in Southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
The Operation will function under the umbrella of Combined Maritime Forces (CMF). CMF's Task Force 153 is charged with international maritime security and capacity building in the Red Sea, Bab-al-Mandeb and Gulf of Aden.
Operation Prosperity Guardian will serve to create a safe passage for commercial and merchant ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
It is a defensive coalition aiming to reassure, assist and respond to global shipping and mariners that will be transitioning the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Waterway.
About Combined Maritime Forces (CMF)
CMF is a multinational maritime partnership, which exists to uphold the rules-based international order (RBIO) by countering illicit non-state actors on the high seas and promoting security, stability and prosperity across approximately 3.2 million square miles of international waters, which encompass some of the world's most important shipping lanes.
Established in 2001.
Headquarters of CMF is in Manama, Bahrain.
Focus areas of CMF: Counter-narcotics, counter-smuggling, suppressing piracy, encouraging regional cooperation and engaging with regional and other partners. Promoting a safe maritime environment free from illicit non-state actors. When requested, CMF assets at sea will also respond to environmental and humanitarian incidents.
39 Members of CMF are: Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Djibouti, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, India, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Republic of Korea, Kuwait, Malaysia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, the Philippines, Portugal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Singapore, Spain, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Türkiye, UAE, United Kingdom, United States, and Yemen. (India is a member and also Pakistan).
Functioning of CMF: CMF is a coalition of the willing and does not proscribe or mandate a specific level of participation from any member nation. CMF members are not bound by a fixed political or military mandate.
Combined Task Forces under CMF:
CTF 150: Conducts Maritime Security Operations outside the Arabian Gulf to ensure that legitimate commercial shipping can transit the region, free from non-state threats.
CTF 151: Aims to suppress piracy outside territorial waters of Coastal States, indirectly curb trafficking of humans and illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.
CTF 152: Focuses on regional maritime security cooperation focusing on illicit non-state actors in the Arabian Gulf, especially between Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations.
CTF 153: Focuses on Red Sea Maritime Security in the Red Sea, Bab al Mandeb and Gulf of Aden. Established in 2002.
CTF 154: Train partner navies and improve operational capabilities to enhance maritime security in Middle East. Established in 2023.
CMF's head or commander by vice-admiral of US Navy. CMF's deputy commander is a UK Royal Navy Commodore.
About Red Sea
Red Sea is a narrow sea between Arabian Peninsula and Africa.
Towards its north lies the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt and Gulf of Suez and Gulf of Aqaba. Suez Canal connects the Gulf of Suez to the Mediterranean Sea.
Towards its south, Bab-al-Mandeb strait connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. Bab al Mandeb separates Yemen on the Arabian Peninsula to the Djibouti and Eritrea located on the Horn of Africa.
Bab al-Mandeb passage (choke point) which connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden is only 29 km wide at its narrowest point.
Currently, between 10-15% of global shipping flows through the Red Sea.
On account of the recent Houthi attacks, many international shipping companies have had to re-route through the Cape of Good Hope adding weeks to the delivery of goods and materials, including oil and gas.
About Houthis
Houthis are an armed group who as sect among the Shia muslims minority known as Zaidis in Yemen.
They rebelled against ex-Yemen President Saleh, who was supported by Saudi Arabia.
Houthi rebels have been fighting a civil war against the Saudi backed Yemen Government since 2014.
Houthi rebels have modelled themselves on lines of Shia armed group Hezbollah based in Lebanon and are supported by Iran.
Context: Recently, a Chinese Community Party delegation visited the Solomon Islands. China has been aggressively courting the Pacific islands to have greater geopolitical leverage in the Pacific.
About Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean.
It consists of a double chain of volcanic islands and coral atolls in Melanesia.
The country comprises most of the Solomons chain—except for Buka and Bougainville, two islands at the northwestern end that form an autonomous region of Papua New Guinea.
Once a British protectorate, Solomon Islands achieved independence as a republic in 1978.
Honiara, on the north coast of Guadalcanal Island, is Solomon Islands’ capital and largest city.
Recent Geopolitics of Solomon Islands
2022 - Solomon Islands signs a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on policing cooperation with China in March and is reported to be in the process of concluding a security agreement with China, which could allow a Chinese military and naval presence in the islands.
2023 - In response to China's overtures to the islands, the US reopens an embassy on the Solomons after a 30-year absence.
June 2023-Mr. Sogavare called for review of its security treaty with Australia, which has historically provided policing support to the Solomon Islands.
July,2023-China had signed a policing pact with the Solomon Islands as both countries upgraded their ties to a “comprehensive strategic partnership”.
India and Solomon Island
Diplomatic relations between India & Solomon Islands were established in 1987.
India’s relationship with Pacific Island Countries (PIC) has deepened with evolution of Act East Policy, resulting in setting up of action-oriented Forum for India–Pacific Island Cooperation (FIPIC).
India has been aiding Solomon Island in capacity building in diverse fields under ITEC program (Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation).
Context: According to the Moroccan Interior Ministry, a massive earthquake that struck central Morocco has resulted in at least 2,122 deaths and 2,421 injuries. Most affected province and cities are Al Haouz province and Taroudant, Agadir, Al Hoceima (Mediterranean port city).
About Morocco
It is a country in the Maghreb Region of Western North Africa that lies directly across the Strait of Gibraltar from Spain.
The Atlas Mountains dominate the central part of the country, while the Rif Mountains make up the northern edge.
The Imperial Cities of Morocco are the four historical capital cities of Morocco: Fez, Marrakesh, Meknes, and Rabat. Rabat is the current capital of Morocco.
Jebel Toubkal is the highest point in Morocco and is also the highest peak of the Atlas Mountains.
The southeastern region of the country is blanketed by the Sahara Desert, the world's third-largest desert.
It is bordered by the two countries of Western Sahara to the south and Algeria to the east. It has coastlines on the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the Mediterranean Sea to the north.
Berbers or the Berber peoples, also called by their contemporary self-name Amazigh or Imazighen, are a diverse grouping of distinct ethnic groups indigenous to Morocco.
Most of Morocco north of Western Sahara, particularly along the coasts, experiences a typical Mediterranean climate, with mild wet winters and hot dry summers.
A Moroccan traveler, Ibn Battuta (1333-1347 AD) visited India during the reign of Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq.
With its acquisition of Western Sahara, Morocco came to possess some two-thirds of the world’s reserves of phosphates, used for the manufacture of fertilizers and other products.
Cause of earthquake in Morocco
This area is situated along the boundary of the African and Eurasian tectonic plates, where these massive plates interact, leading to the possibility of seismic activity.
Earthquakes in this region result from the northward convergence of the African plate towards the Eurasian plate along a complex plate boundary.
In the case of a particular earthquake in this area, oblique-reverse faulting occurs at shallow depths within the Moroccan High Atlas Mountain range.
North Africa typically experiences infrequent seismic events, resulting in minimal preparedness. The construction of buildings in this region tends to be compact and often does not adhere to earthquake-resistant construction standards.
