Great Nicobar Project May See 9.64 Lakh Trees Axed, Says Minister

Relevance: GS3 - Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment, Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc GS2 - Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

(Source: The Hindu, 08/04/2023)

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Why in the news?

• Recently, a response by the Minister of State for Environment in the Rajya Sabha revealed that around 9.64 lakh trees could be felled in order to implement the Union Government’s Great Nicobar Project.
• The ₹72,000 crore project comprises a trans-shipment port, an international airport, township development, and a 450 MVA gas and solar-based power plant.

What is the Great Nicobar Project?

• The Great Nicobar Project is a proposed mega project that will be implemented on Great Nicobar Island, which is one of the southernmost islands in the Andaman and Nicobar Island group.
• The project will be implemented over a total area of 13,000 hectares or 130 sq kilometers.
• It is being implemented by the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation (ANIDCO).
• Aim: Holistic Development of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Objectives

• Marine trade: According to the Niti Aayog, the establishment of the trans-shipment port as part of the project will help Great Nicobar Island to participate actively in the regional and global marine economy.
  • Its ideal location i.e. equidistant from Colombo in the southwest and Singapore and Malaysia in the southeast as well as its proximity to the East-West international shipping corridor would make it an integral part of global cargo transshipment.
• National Security: Great Nicobar is strategically positioned in the Indian Ocean and can play a critical role in India’s national security as well as the regional security of the IOR.
  • Increasing Chinese aggression in the IOR and with its neighbors on maritime boundaries as well as concerns about a free and open Indo-Pacific have made it a necessity.
• Trading zone: According to some experts, the Indian government is attempting to develop the region into a free trade zone similar to Hong Kong.
  • MNCs are migrating away from China due to various concerns with Chinese government policy like tariffs.
• Employment: More than 1 lakh new direct jobs and 1.5 lakh indirect jobs are likely to be created on the island over the period of development.
  • The project is likely to boost tourism on the islands as it also involves the development of roads, hotels, public transport, water supply, and waste management facilities.

Why has the project been criticized?

Impact on biodiversity

• It could adversely impact the biodiversity-rich islands and damage the habitats of endangered species.
• The project area includes areas under Coastal Regulation Zones-IA and IB, and bird nesting grounds like Galathea Bay that will be harmed by dredging.

Impact on Tree Cover

• According to initial proposals, the project would involve the felling of around 8.5 lakh trees, but this has now increased to 9.64 lakhs.
• This will lead to increased runoff and sediment deposits, thereby impacting coral reefs around the islands.

Inadequate Assessment

• Critics have claimed that environmental impact assessment reports were not conducted as per the Terms of Reference (ToR).
• Generally, details of projects that are being appraised for environmental clearance are usually made available on a public portal, maintained by the Environment Ministry.
• However, details about the Great Nicobar Project have not been put up yet as the project has been classified as “strategically important” by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.

Impact on Tribals

• The traditional homes of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) could be encroached into for development.
• The Tribal Affairs Ministry has said that the utilization of the tribal reserve area will be subject to the interests of the local tribespeople and that eco-tourism will be regulated.

Great Nicobar island

• It is the southernmost island of the Nicobar Islands Archipelago and home to Indira Point, the southernmost point of India.
• Area: 910 sq km.
• Conservation projects: The island hosts a number of ecosystems such as tropical wet evergreen forests, mountain ranges, and coastal plains.
• The Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve
• Campbay Bay National Park
• Galathea National Park
• Tribals:
  • The Mongoloid Shompen Tribe, who are hunters and food gatherers, dependent on forest and marine resources for sustenance.
  • Nicobarese, a Mongloid tribe live in settlements along the west coast but were relocated to Afra Bay on the North Coast and Campbell Bay following the 2004 tsunami.
• Flora and Fauna:
  • 650 species of angiosperms, ferns, gymnosperms, bryophytes
  • Over 1800 species of fauna, some of which are endemic to the region including the leatherback turtle which is the flagship species of the island.
  • Other animals include Crab-eating Macaque, Nicobar Tree Shrew, Dugong, Nicobar Megapode, Serpent Eagle, saltwater crocodile, marine turtles, and Reticulated Python.

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FAQs

MCQs

Question: Which of the following is geographically closest to Great Nicobar? (UPSC CSE 2017)

(a) Sumatra

(b) Borneo

(c) Java

(d) Sri Lanka