India and the Northern Sea Route (NSR)
Context- Murmansk is witnessing the rising trend of Indian involvement in cargo traffic.
About Murmansk
•
It is popularly called the capital of the Arctic region and the beginning point of the Northern Sea Route (NSR).
• It is a city in the north-west of the European part of Russia, the administrative center of Murmansk Oblast
• It is the largest city in the world located beyond the Arctic Circle and one of the largestn ports in Russia.
• Murmansk’s ice-free harbour makes it Russia’s only port with unrestricted access to the Atlantic and world sea routes.
About Murmansk
•
It is popularly called the capital of the Arctic region and the beginning point of the Northern Sea Route (NSR).
• It is a city in the north-west of the European part of Russia, the administrative center of Murmansk Oblast
• It is the largest city in the world located beyond the Arctic Circle and one of the largestn ports in Russia.
• Murmansk’s ice-free harbour makes it Russia’s only port with unrestricted access to the Atlantic and world sea routes.
Northern Sea Route (NSR)
• It is the shortest shipping route for freight transportation between Europe and countries of the Asia-Pacific region, straddles four seas of the Arctic Ocean. • Running to 5,600 km, the Route begins at the boundary between the Barents and the Kara seas (Kara Strait) and ends in the Bering Strait (Provideniya Bay). • Distance savings along the NSR can be as high as 50% compared to the currently used shipping lanes via Suez or Panama.
• The 2021 blockage of the Suez Canal, which forms part of the widely-used maritime route involving Europe and Asia, has led to greater attention on the NSR.