Centre Defends Rs 92,000-Crore Great Nicobar Project Before NGT

The Union government has defended the proposed Rs 92,000-crore mega-infrastructure project on Great Nicobar Island before the National Green Tribunal (NGT), saying it is fully aware of the project’s ecological impact and has already put safeguards in place.
The plan includes an international airport, a township and a power plant and will cover about 160 sq. km, which is a little over 18% of the island. The government has stressed that no tribal people will be displaced and that more than two-thirds of the island will continue to remain under forest cover.

Environmentalists, however, have challenged the project approvals. They say the clearances violate coastal regulations and are based on incomplete environmental impact studies. They fear the project could damage the island’s fragile biodiversity.

According to them, over 130 sq. km of forest land inhabited by the Nicobarese and the Shompen — a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group — will be disturbed. They are also worried about the survival of wildlife, including coral reefs, leatherback turtles and the Nicobar megapode, a rare ground-nesting bird with 51 active nests reported in the project area.

In response, the Centre has argued that it has studied the island’s ecology for decades and has mandated conservation and monitoring programmes for the next thirty years.

The government said it will take steps such as translocating coral colonies, protecting turtle nesting grounds and continuously reviewing the project’s ecological effects. It has described the development as a “national asset” and assured that only the most suitable locations are being used, while the rest of the forests will remain unaffected. - TWL Bureau