Great Nicobar Mega Project Cleared by NGT: Strategic Imperatives Amid Ecological Concerns

Why in the News?

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has approved the ₹81,000-crore Great Nicobar infrastructure project, citing its strategic importance and noting that environmental safeguards are in place.

The decision is significant as it may set a precedent for future strategically sensitive infrastructure projects in ecologically fragile regions.

The 166 sq km mega project seeks to transform Great Nicobar Island into a major strategic, maritime, and economic hub. However, the diversion of nearly 130 sq km of forest land and the felling of approximately one million trees have raised serious environmental and social concerns.

Overview of the Great Nicobar Project

Great Nicobar Island spans approximately 910 sq km and houses India’s southernmost point, Indira Point.

The project aims to convert the island into a strategic gateway in the Indo-Pacific by developing:

• Maritime infrastructure
• Defence facilities
• Urban settlement zones
• Aviation and logistics networks

The total project area covers 166 sq km, making it one of India’s largest island development initiatives.

Four Core Components of the Project

Integrated Township

• Spread across approximately 149 sq km
• Includes residential, commercial, tourism, logistics, and defence facilities
• Designed to anchor long-term economic and strategic presence

Transshipment Port at Galathea Bay

• Proposed at Galathea Bay
• Intended to serve as a major maritime logistics hub
• Located in an ecologically sensitive zone known for Leatherback turtle nesting and river outflow

Land reclamation of 2.98 sq km is planned for port infrastructure.

Civil and Military Airport

• Dual-use international airport
• Second aviation facility after INS Baaz
• Requires acquisition of 4.2 sq km, affecting 379 families
• Land reclamation of 1.94 sq km proposed

Power Plant

• 450-MVA gas and solar-based facility
• Occupies 0.39 sq km
• Ensures energy reliability for the township and port operations

Estimated construction material requirement: 33.35 million cubic metres.

Implementation and Governance

• Initially conceptualised by NITI Aayog
• Being implemented by the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation Limited (ANIIDCO)
• Pre-feasibility study prepared in 2021

The project represents a coordinated civil-military infrastructure strategy.

Strategic Significance

Geopolitical and Maritime Advantage

Great Nicobar lies close to the Malacca Strait, one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints. Around 94,000 vessels pass through the Strait annually, carrying nearly 30% of global traded goods and a substantial share of maritime oil trade.

Its location provides India a strategic vantage point in Indo-Pacific geopolitics.

Transshipment Hub Ambition

India aims to reduce reliance on foreign ports for transshipment.

Currently, India has one operational transshipment facility at Vizhinjam Port.

The proposed Galathea Bay port aims to compete with:

• Colombo and Hambantota (Sri Lanka)
• Port Klang (Malaysia)
• Port of Singapore

Projected annual handling capacity: 14.2 million TEUs.

Strengthening Defence Infrastructure

The Andaman and Nicobar Command, India’s only tri-services command, has operated in Port Blair since 2001.

The project includes integrated defence facilities, enhanced airfields, surveillance systems, jetties, and logistics bases.

Environmental and Social Concerns

Large-Scale Forest Diversion

• 130 sq km of forest diversion
• Felling of nearly one million trees
• Located within the Sundaland biodiversity hotspot

Biosphere and Wildlife Concerns

The island falls within the Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve.

• Galathea Bay Wildlife Sanctuary and a megapode sanctuary were denotified
• Habitat of the endemic Nicobar megapode affected

Impact on Leatherback Turtles

Galathea Bay is a key nesting site for Leatherback turtles. Mitigation includes proposed alternative sanctuaries on nearby islands.

Impact on Indigenous Communities

Shompen Tribe

• Semi-nomadic hunter-gatherers (~250 population)
• Limited external contact
• Highly vulnerable to ecological and demographic disruption

Nicobarese Community

• Reside in settlements like Campbell Bay
• Many displaced during the 2004 tsunami
• Concerns over land rights and consent processes

Demographic Transformation

• Current population: ~8,500
• Projected rise to 6.5 lakh by 2050
• Potential strain on ecology, freshwater resources, and social fabric

Significance

• Enhances India’s maritime strategic footprint in Indo-Pacific
• Positions India as a regional transshipment hub
• Strengthens integrated civil-military infrastructure
• Raises questions about environmental governance in fragile ecosystems
• Tests balance between development and sustainability

The Great Nicobar project represents a critical case study in reconciling strategic imperatives with ecological prudence.