Great Nicobar Project: NGT Clears ₹92,000-cr Mega Infrastructure Plan

Context

1. 2022 — Environmental clearance (EC) granted for the Great Nicobar mega-infrastructure project.
2. 2023 — National Green Tribunal orders formation of a High-Powered Committee (HPC) to examine issues: coral protection, turtle nesting sites, and ecological zones.
3. 2023–24 — Applicants challenge the EC, alleging inadequate review and ecological risks.
4. HPC Review — Committee examines concerns; Ministry directed to ensure strict safeguards (coral regeneration, no shoreline erosion, no harm to nesting beaches).
5. Feb 2026 — NGT rules:
   • Safeguards in the EC + HPC review are adequate.
   • No “good ground” to interfere considering the project’s strategic importance.