Context
The ₹81,000-crore Great Nicobar infrastructure project has received clearance from the Union Environment Ministry’s Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC), which held that sufficient environmental safeguards have been incorporated while recognising the project’s strategic importance.
The decision is significant as it may shape the approach to future strategically important projects located in ecologically sensitive regions.
The mega project covers 166 sq km and aims to transform Great Nicobar Island into a major economic and strategic hub. However, it involves diversion of approximately 130 sq km of forest land and the felling of nearly one million trees, raising serious environmental concerns.
Overview of the Project
Great Nicobar Island spans about 910 sq km and hosts India’s southernmost point, Indira Point. The project envisions converting the island into a strategic gateway in the Indo-Pacific region.
Four Core Components
Integrated Township
The township will cover nearly 149 sq km and include residential zones, commercial areas, tourism infrastructure, logistics facilities and defence establishments. It is designed to anchor long-term economic and strategic activity.
Transshipment Port
The proposed port at Galathea Bay aims to position India as a maritime logistics hub. It will function as a transshipment facility, transferring cargo from large vessels to smaller feeder ships.
The site lies in an ecologically sensitive zone, known for Leatherback turtle nesting and the outflow of the Galathea River.
Civil and Military Airport
A dual-use international airport is planned east of the port. It will complement the existing INS Baaz Naval Air Station at Campbell Bay.
The airport requires acquisition of about 4.2 sq km of land and is expected to affect 379 families.
Power Plant
A 450 MVA gas and solar-based power plant is proposed to ensure reliable energy supply for the township and associated infrastructure.
Land Use and Environmental Footprint
The total project area is 166 sq km.
Forest diversion accounts for about 130 sq km.
Land reclamation includes
2.98 sq km for the port
1.94 sq km for the airport
The project requires around 33.35 million cubic metres of construction material, including cement, rock, sand and steel.
Strategic Significance
Geopolitical Location
Great Nicobar lies close to the , a crucial global maritime chokepoint. Around 94,000 ships transit through it annually, carrying nearly 30 percent of global trade and a substantial share of maritime oil flows.
This proximity gives India a strategic vantage point in Indo-Pacific maritime dynamics.
Maritime Trade Ambition
The Galathea Bay transshipment port is expected to handle 14.2 million TEUs annually. It seeks to compete with regional ports such as Colombo, Hambantota, Port Klang and Singapore.
India currently has one operational transshipment port at Vizhinjam in Kerala.
Defence Infrastructure
The Andaman and Nicobar Command, India’s only tri-services command, has been operational since 2001. The project integrates defence infrastructure into its first phase, strengthening India’s maritime surveillance and operational capabilities in the eastern Indian Ocean.
Environmental and Social Concerns
Ecological Impact
The Nicobar Islands form part of the Sundaland biodiversity hotspot. Almost the entire island falls within the Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve.
The project affects littoral forests, evergreen hill forests and coastal wetlands. The Galathea Bay Wildlife Sanctuary and a megapode sanctuary were denotified.
The endemic Nicobar megapode faces habitat disruption.
Impact on Leatherback Turtles
Galathea Bay is a critical nesting site for Leatherback turtles. While mitigation measures include creation of alternative sanctuaries on neighbouring islands, concerns remain about long-term ecological damage.
Indigenous Communities
The Shompen tribe, a semi-nomadic hunter-gatherer group with limited external contact, inhabit the interior forests and are highly vulnerable to displacement and disease.
The Nicobarese community, many of whom were displaced during the 2004 tsunami, continue to demand restoration of earlier settlements.
Projected demographic expansion from about 8,500 residents to 6.5 lakh by 2050 could significantly alter the island’s social and ecological balance.
Governance and Implementation
The project was initially conceptualised by NITI Aayog and is being implemented by the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation Ltd. A pre-feasibility study was prepared in 2021.
Conclusion
The Great Nicobar Project represents a strategic attempt to strengthen India’s maritime presence in the Indo-Pacific while enhancing trade and defence infrastructure..However, its scale, ecological footprint and impact on indigenous communities present complex environmental and ethical questions.
Balancing strategic imperatives with ecological sustainability and tribal rights will determine whether the project becomes a model of responsible development or a precedent for ecological compromise.
