NGT Upholds Environmental Clearance For Great Nicobar Mega Project

Syllabus: GS3/Infrastructure; Environment

Context

• Recently, a Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) cleared the way for the Great Nicobar Island mega-infrastructure project, noting that ‘considering the strategic importance’ of it and ‘other relevant considerations’.

About the Great Nicobar Project

• It is a large-scale infrastructure initiative conceived by NITI Aayog, formally called as the Great Nicobar Island Development Project.
• It is implemented through the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation (ANIIDC).

• It aims to transform Great Nicobar into a strategic economic and maritime hub.
• The project involves diversion of forest land and large-scale infrastructure development, raising environmental concerns.
• Key Components:
  • International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICTT) at Galathea Bay;
  • Greenfield international airport (civil and military use);
  • Integrated township for phased population growth;
  • 450-MVA gas and solar-based power plant.
• Strategic Significance:
  • Located near the Malacca Strait, a key global shipping route.
  • Intended to strengthen India’s maritime trade capacity.
  • Enhances India’s defence and geopolitical presence in the Indo-Pacific region.

Petitions and Allegations Before NGT

• The project  relied on limited baseline data, violating the Island Coastal Regulation Zone (ICRZ) Notification, 2019.
• Around 700 hectares allegedly fell within ecologically sensitive or prohibited ICRZ areas.
• There was non-compliance with the NGT’s 2023 order directing a revisit of the Environmental Clearance (EC).
• Other Concerns:
  • Potential impact on coral reefs, turtle nesting sites, and biodiversity.
  • Risks due to seismic and tsunami vulnerability (2004 tsunami impact).
  • Concerns over rights and livelihoods of Shompen and Nicobarese communities.
• The NGT disposed of these petitions with its latest ruling.

Issues Examined by the Tribunal & Its Environmental Clearance

• Protection of Coral Reefs: The NGT concluded that no coral reefs exist within the core project area, based on submissions from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI).
  • Scattered coral formations, if present, will be translocated as per scientific recommendations.
  • MoEF has been directed to ensure coral protection and regeneration using proven scientific methods.
• Baseline Environmental Data: NGT relied on findings from a High-Powered Committee (HPC) headed by former Environment Secretary, which revisited the clearance in compliance with the NGT’s April 2023 order.
• Compliance with ICRZ Norms: The NGT concluded that ‘no part of the project’ falls within prohibited ICRZ areas.
  • Portions of port infrastructure that may fall within CRZ-1A and CRZ-1B areas under the proposed master plan would be excluded in the revised plan.
  • The Tribunal stressed that the conditions of the ICRZ Notification cannot be ignored and must be strictly adhered to.
• Environmental Safeguards and Conditions: The NGT noted that the environmental clearance contains specific safeguards, including protection measures for Leatherback sea turtles, Nicobar megapode, saltwater crocodiles, robber crabs, Nicobar macaques and other endemic bird species.
• Shoreline and Coastal Protection Measures: The Tribunal directed the MoEF to ensure that:
  • Construction activities, including foreshore development, do not cause erosion or adverse shoreline changes.
  • Sandy beaches are preserved, as they are crucial nesting sites for turtles and birds.
  • The island’s shoreline is protected to prevent ecological degradation.

Source: IE