New Delhi, October 31: Initial groundwork for India’s ambitious Great Nicobar Island development project is set to begin after the government granted fresh environmental approvals, even as scientists and environmentalists warn of risks to the ecologically sensitive region.
Recent entries on the environment ministry’s Parivesh portal show that two small-scale forest land diversions — of 1 square metre and 195 square metres — were approved on May 7 and October 15. The clearances will allow the installation of an automatic weather station and geotechnical soil testing, which officials say are critical preparatory steps for construction of a township and an international container transshipment terminal at Galathea Bay.
The Great Nicobar development plan, estimated to cost ₹81,800 crore ($9.8 billion), envisions four major components — an international transshipment port, a greenfield international airport, a gas- and solar-based power plant, and township and area development projects. The project requires about 166 square kilometres of land, including 130.75 sq km of forest area.
Environmental groups and independent experts have voiced concerns over large-scale deforestation, biodiversity loss, and threats to indigenous communities such as the Shompen and Great Nicobarese. The Nicobar Islands fall within the Sundaland Biodiversity Hotspot, home to over 650 species of plants and 1,800 species of fauna, many unique to the region.
Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said in August last year that “exemplary mitigation measures” had been incorporated into the project to minimise environmental impact, citing India’s “strategic, national and defence interests.”
A petition challenging the project’s forest and environment clearances is pending before the National Green Tribunal (NGT). A six-member bench of the NGT’s Eastern Zone heard the case on Thursday, with the panel suggesting that the Centre include the heads of key government bodies, including the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and the National Biodiversity Authority, in the project’s monitoring framework.
During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, representing the government, acknowledged the project’s potential biodiversity impact but said only 1.8% of Great Nicobar’s total area would be used for construction. She added that three new wildlife sanctuaries would be created to offset the impact and preserve biodiversity.
The tribunal has scheduled the next hearing for November 7.
