Port Blair: property prices, projects and homes

Overview of Port Blair

Port Blair is the main city of South Andaman and the capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Union Territory. The Centre announced in September 2024 that it would be renamed Sri Vijaya Puram. Many listings and everyday speech still use Port Blair, and so does this guide.

The city is spread over low hills and small bays rather than a flat grid. Aberdeen Bazaar is the old commercial centre. Other neighbourhoods that buyers hear about include Junglighat, Haddo, Delanipur, Garacharma and Atlanta Point. The terrain matters for daily life, as later sections explain.

There is no development authority of the Noida or DDA type here. Civic services in the urban area are run by the Port Blair Municipal Council (PBMC), which a 2022 government compliance report describes as the only urban local body in the Union Territory. Land, planning permissions and registrations sit with the Andaman and Nicobar Administration, including the Deputy Commissioner of South Andaman.

The Smart City Mission also covers Port Blair. A Lok Sabha reply from April 2025 listed 18 projects, of which 7 were complete and 11 ongoing. We could not find a newer public update.

Connectivity

Port Blair is an island city, so there is no railway, metro or intercity bus link to the mainland. Everything arrives by air or sea. Within the city and to nearby areas, buses, taxis and auto-rickshaws are the options.

By air

Veer Savarkar International Airport is about 2 km south of Aberdeen Bazaar, roughly a 10 to 15 minute drive according to travel listings. The Airports Authority of India opened a new integrated terminal in 2023. Published figures for its cost (about Rs 707 to 723 crore) and annual capacity (about four to five million passengers) differ between sources, so treat them as approximate.

By sea

The Shipping Corporation of India runs passenger ships between Port Blair and Chennai, Kolkata and Visakhapatnam. Travel guides say each trip takes roughly 2.5 to 4 days, and that sailings run only a few times a month. Durations vary across sources, so check the current schedule before planning. Weather can disrupt sailings.

Inside the islands, government ferries use Phoenix Bay Jetty and most private operators use Haddo Jetty. The Port Blair to Havelock crossing takes roughly 90 minutes, according to ferry booking sites.

Schools, colleges, hospitals and shopping

Port Blair has a limited but workable set of institutions. The list below is not complete, and we did not verify distances from each locality.

• Schools: PM Shri Kendriya Vidyalaya No 1, Kendriya Vidyalaya No 2 at Raksha Vihar, and Carmel Secondary School at Haddo are listed as CBSE schools in Port Blair. Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya at Chouldari is in South Andaman, outside the city itself.
• Medical education and hospital: The Andaman and Nicobar Islands Institute of Medical Sciences (ANIIMS) runs alongside G.B. Pant Hospital, the territory's main referral hospital. Directories give between 500 and 545 beds, and local news has reported a shortage of some specialists, such as cardiology and neurology. For complex treatment, many residents travel to the mainland.
• Colleges: Options for higher education are fewer than in a mainland metro. We could not verify a list of degree colleges from the sources we found, so check directly with the institutions.
• Shopping: Aberdeen Bazaar is the main market area. Expect local shops and a limited range of brands, with some goods shipped in from the mainland.

Property market on ADiHomes

ADiHomes has no live listings or projects in Port Blair yet, as of October 2026. We therefore show no prices or rates here. You can still browse new projects in Port Blair and flats for sale in Port Blair for when listings appear.

From the sources we reviewed, local housing is mostly independent houses and small low-rise buildings on hilly plots. Land transfers carry special rules, covered in the checklist. Reinforced concrete buildings did poorly in the 2004 earthquake, and seismic design is central to housing here.

Civic matters

Water

Water is the best-documented weakness. Dhanikhari dam is the city's main reservoir and is rain dependent. In June 2020 the municipal council said it needed about 15 million litres a day but was receiving about 3, with most of the city getting water once every six days. Stage I of the Rutland water supply project was completed in December 2021 and adds 6.6 million litres a day. In May 2024 an MP urged expansion, which shows demand still exceeds supply in dry spells. We could not find a confirmed 2026 position. Ask any seller about the water source, tank size and tanker dependence.

Power

A memorandum reported in August 2025 put demand for Port Blair and rural South Andaman at about 48 MW against supply under 40 MW, with the gap handled through scheduled power cuts. The mix includes diesel, solar and hydro. Proposed links to the national grid by undersea cable are long term. A power backup is a practical need.

Sewage and waste

Because of the undulating terrain, a 2018 report says a centralised sewerage system has been hard to implement and most people use non-sewered systems, such as septic tanks. A 42 kilolitre a day faecal sludge plant is reported at Brookshabad. In 2022 the city generated about 60 tonnes of solid waste a day, with a small processing gap.

Hazards and approvals

All of the islands lie in Seismic Zone V, the highest in India. A study of the 2004 earthquake found many recent buildings did not follow mandatory standards. The municipal council has issued notices for unauthorised construction citing the Municipal Building Bye-laws, 1999. We found no documented litigation or stalled-project issue specific to Port Blair, but that does not prove there is none.

Infrastructure underway or planned

• Smart City works: 11 projects were listed as ongoing in April 2025, with no newer public status found.
• Rutland water supply, Stage II: Proposed in May 2024 to raise total supply to 22.6 million litres a day. We found no confirmation of approval or dates.
• Power: A new 10 MW diesel set at Bambooflat has been reported as delayed. An undersea grid link is only a proposal.
• Airport: The new terminal opened in 2023, so this is complete rather than planned.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Airport very close to the city.
• Main hospital, medical institute and CBSE schools are within the city.
• Strong tourism links through the Havelock and island ferries.
• Land transfers need official permission, which adds a layer of checking.

Cons

• Water shortages and power cuts are well documented.
• Highest seismic zone and tsunami exposure.
• Limited choice in specialist healthcare and higher education.
• Island logistics make building material and travel costlier and slower, and no rail or road link to the mainland exists.

Who it suits

Port Blair suits government and defence staff posted here, tourism and hospitality professionals, and families with roots in the islands. Buyers who want a mainland-style ready township may find it limiting. Remote workers should check internet reliability, which we did not research.

Pre-purchase checklist

• Confirm the seller holds clear title and that the Deputy Commissioner's prior written permission for a private land sale is in place. One commercial guide says the Sub-Registrar will not register a deed without it. Verify with the office itself.
• Confirm the plot is not inside a tribal reserve, forest land or a restricted coastal zone.
• Check the building plan approval from the municipal council and ask about structural design for Seismic Zone V.
• Ask for the water source, storage and electricity backup details.
• For projects, check registration with the Tamil Nadu Real Estate Regulatory Authority (TNRERA), which handles registrations for the Andaman and Nicobar Islands according to lender guides. Confirm this on the official portal, as we did not reach it.
• Ask for property tax receipts and a no-dues certificate.
• Take legal advice from a lawyer who practises locally.