Govt defends Great Nicobar project amid criticism, cites national interest

The central government’s Great Nicobar development project, proposed around an unprecedented transhipment port, will be executed to keep environmental impact minimal, and is essential as it is of national importance, the government has said amid calls to abort the controversial project due to ecological concerns, the Centre said in an official statement.

Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav was responding to Indian National Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh’s concerns about the proposed Rs 72,000 crore “Mega Infra Project” on Great Nicobar Island, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

In a letter dated 21 August, Yadav assured that “exemplary mitigation measures” have been put in place to reduce the environmental impact of the project while considering “strategic, national, and defence interests.”

In a post on X dated 8 August, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh raised three major concerns about the Great Nicobar Island project—the destruction of a unique rainforest ecosystem through the diversion of 13,075 hectares of forest land, the potential genocide of the Shompen tribe due to violations of legal safeguards, and the project’s location in an earthquake-prone zone, which risks severe consequences for investment, infrastructure, and the environment.

He called for the suspension of the project and a thorough review by the relevant Parliamentary committees.

In April 2023, the Kolkata bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had put a two-month stay on the project and asked a high-powered committee (HPC) to scrutinise alleged deficiencies in addressing environmental concerns and possible regulatory violations.

In his response, Yadav emphasised that even with the diversion of forest land for the project, 82 per cent of the Great Nicobar area will still be preserved as protected forests, eco-sensitive zones, and biosphere reserves, surpassing the standard requirement of maintaining two-thirds of the area under forest cover.

“It is only after due deliberations and after incorporating exemplary mitigation measures that the decision on the project was taken by the central government, keeping the strategic, national, and defence interests in mind and without compromising on the environmental and social aspects.

"For this, detailed Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) studies were carried out, and an Environmental Management Plan (EMP) has been prepared which, inter alia, includes mitigation measures to minimise the impact during the construction and operation phases of the project,” Yadav said in the letter.

On the Congress’ concern that the compensatory afforestation planned for the project is no substitute for the loss of natural forests, Yadav said that due to the lack of available areas for plantation on Great Nicobar Island, efforts are being directed towards planting native species in non-notified forest land, arid landscapes, and urban areas. He emphasised that these efforts would provide greater ecological benefits despite the challenges.

Yadav said that the Environment and Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Clearance, as well as Forest Clearance for the project, were granted by the ministry on 11 November 2022, following meticulous due diligence. He assured that the clearances were in full compliance with the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Notifications, extant rules, regulations, and guidelines.

Regarding concerns about the project’s location in an earthquake-prone coastline, Yadav said that seismologists estimate that while a mega-earthquake like the one in 2004 (9.2 Mw) is unlikely soon, earthquakes with magnitudes of 5.5 to 7.0 Mw are possible within the next 50 years.

The project could also effect a potential genocide of the Shompen tribe, Ramesh had alleged, echoing concerns of various activists over the past year.

In February, a group of scholars of genocide studies warned Indian President Draupadi Murmu that the project would be a “death knell” for the indigenous community.

Yadav said that the administration is fully dedicated to the objectives of the Shompen policy, which emphasises developing communication and consultation channels based solely on the tribe’s willingness.

He stated that a budget of Rs 201.98 crore has been allocated for tribal welfare initiatives, including the establishment of a special medical unit to be implemented over the next 50 years in compliance with environmental clearances.

The minister said that while 73.07 sq. km of land is required for the project, 76.98 sq. km will be re-notified as a tribal reserve, resulting in a net increase of 3.912 sq. km in the tribal reserve area of Great Nicobar Island.

Yadav also assured that the development plan aligns with the Shompen policy, allowing for large-scale development proposals with adequate consultation with relevant authorities, confirming that the project will not disturb or displace any members of the Shompen tribe.

He highlighted that the HPC thoroughly assessed the project’s impact on tribal communities, recommending the de-notification of the tribal reserve only under conditions that protect the interests of the Shompen, ensuring they are not adversely affected or displaced.

According to the NGT order, the HPC was mandated to look into the potential destruction of 4,518 corals during the development of the project, along with the legitimacy of the impact assessment report, which had data for one season instead of the required three.

A part of the project was also allegedly falling in a coastal regulation zone, where port construction is prohibited.

The Congress leader had called the HPC’s operations opaque, and its findings inconsistent with submissions by the Andaman and Nicobar Coastal Management Authority.

There also have been concerns raised over the autonomy of the panel.

“The same people who have approved the project are part of the committee that is reviewing it.

"There are no independent experts. There is a lack of sensitivity towards those who would be impacted by such infrastructure projects,” Debi Goenka, one of the petitioners in the NGT case, had said in 2023.

The HPC was headed by the Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC). Other members of the panel were the chief secretary, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Zoological Survey of India, Botanical Survey of India, Central Pollution Control Board, nominee of Vice Chairman of Niti Aayog, nominee of Secretary, Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, and director, Wildlife Institute of India.

The project assumes significance for the central government as no major port has the infrastructure or the geographical location required for the facilitation of mega container ships, and most of the transhipment of huge cargo ships happens in countries like Sri Lanka and Singapore, which are closer to established shipping routes.

While India had previously made moonshot attempts at building transhipment ports, most of them have been found to be economically or environmentally unviable.

The proposed Nicobar Port project focuses on three key drivers which can result in making it a leading container transhipment port—strategic location in terms of proximity (40 nautical miles) to the international shipping trade route, availability of natural water depth of over 20 metres, and carrying capacity of transhipment cargo from all the ports in the proximity including Indian ports, the shipping ministry had said in January 2023, after getting a green signal from the Union Cabinet.

Nine parties, including major players such as Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone, JSW Infrastructure, and state-owned Container Corporation of India, have shown initial interest in building the port.