GREAT NICOBAR PROJECT

30th March, 2023 Economy

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Context

Displacement of tribespeople will not be allowed to make room for Great Nicobar island project, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs told the Rajya Sabha.

About

Great Nicobar Development Plan, spread over 166 sqkm of the 910 sqkm island, is an under-construction mega infrastructure project for the southern tip of Great Nicobar Islandin Andaman Sea of India.

The Project

The Project has geostrategic importance for defence, logistics, commerce and industries, eco-tourism, coastal tourism, Coastal Regulation Zone, etc. It has four components:
- Galathea Bay International Container Transhipment Terminal (Galathea Bay ICTT), with 14.2 million TEUs (unit of cargo) capacity eventually.
- Great Nicobar International Airport (GNIA): greenfield airport with peak hour capacity of 4,000 passengers.
- Great Nicobar Gas and Solar Power Plant (Great Nicobar GSPP): with 450-MVA capacity, spread over 16,610 hectares.
- Coastal cities: two new greenfield coastal cities.

Concerns: Environmental impact & mitigation

Flora: Due to this project, island will loss 12 to 20 hectares of mangrove cover, which will be compensated by afforestation in Haryana’s Aravallisas per rules which allow for such remote compensatory afforestation.
Corals: To mitigate the risk of loss of corals, the corals will be translocated in the reefs around the island.
Fauna: The project area within a 10 km radius of Galthea Bay is ecologically sensitive zone and home of rare fauna such as Leatherback Sea Turtles, salt water crocodile, Nicobar macaque. To mitigate the risk, the Indian MoEFCC’s Expert Appraisal Committee has proposed three conservation sites for fauna - Little Nicobar, Menchal Island and Meroe Island.
People: This project will increase the population to over 3.5 lakh (350,000), which may cause a threat to the indigenous communities. Around 1761 inhabitants, including indigenous Shompen people and Nicobarese communities of this island, are likely to be affected by this project. 853 square kilometers of this island is designated as tribal reserve under the Andaman and Nicobar Protection of Aboriginal Tribes Regulation, 1956. This means that the land is meant for exclusive use of the community and others cannot access the area without their express permission. Around 10% of tribal reserve of the island will be affected by this project. According to Forest Rights Act, 2006, Shompen people are legal sole authority to preserve the forest reserve.