CURRENT-AFFAIRS

Reference

The Great Nicobar Project currently stands at the core of India’s strategic security and Blue Economy aspirations. The debate surrounding this project intensified when legal challenges against its environmental clearance were filed in the National Green Tribunal (NGT), concurrently with the discovery of new, rare biodiversity species in the proposed development area, underscoring the island's ecological significance. This subject presents the challenge of balancing geopolitical imperatives with sustainable development.

The Great Nicobar Project

The Great Nicobar Islands (GNI) Project is an ambitious mega-infrastructure development plan by the Government of India, with an estimated cost ranging from ₹72,000 crore to ₹92,000 crore. It was conceptualized by NITI Aayog and is being implemented by the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation (ANIIDCO).

Why in Discussion (Current News Points)

• New and significant species of biodiversity have been discovered in the area proposed for the mega-infrastructure project on Great Nicobar Island.
• Approximately 40 new species have been identified in this region since 2021, with about half of them recorded in 2025 alone.
• The discovered species include a new Wolf Snake species, which has been recommended for classification as "Endangered" on the IUCN Red List due to its rarity. A potentially new Crake bird species has also been found.
• These regular discoveries have drawn attention to the island's rich ecosystem, prompting leading environmentalists to reiterate demands for the complete protection of the project area's biodiversity.

Strategic Importance of the Project

This project is not merely an economic venture but is extremely crucial for India's strategic security and global trade ambitions in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

India vs. China, Sri Lanka Context, and Global Scenario

• Strategic Response to China: Great Nicobar Island is close to the Malacca Strait, one of the world's busiest shipping lanes. This location provides India with a powerful Forward Operating Base to counter China's 'String of Pearls' strategy (e.g., Gwadar and Hambantota).
• Countering Surveillance from Sri Lanka: If China uses locations like Colombo or Hambantota as military bases or for surveillance on India, the development of a dual-use airport and a naval-capable port in Great Nicobar provides India with quick response and effective surveillance capability in the Eastern IOR. This acts as a crucial "strategic deterrent" to balance China's expansionist maritime claims.
• Global Trade Hub: This project will reduce India's reliance on foreign transshipment hubs like Singapore and Colombo, bringing approximately 75% of the country's transshipped cargo under Indian control.

New Species and Biodiversity Significance

The newly discovered species emphasize the unique and endemic importance of the Galathea Bay and surrounding rainforest ecosystem.

• New Species: These include a new Wolf Snake species and a potentially new Crake bird species.
• These discoveries show that the region is still scientifically unexplored and contains organisms found nowhere else in the world.
• These species establish India as a 'biodiversity hotspot'.
• The project's development could cause irreversible damage to the most important nesting sites of the Leatherback Sea Turtle and the habitat of these endemic species.

Legal and Regulatory Developments

Legal disputes and regulatory challenges regarding the project have been ongoing:

• Environmental and Forest Clearance (EC/FC): The project received Environmental and Forest Clearance in 2022, but this clearance is conditional upon strict conservation and mitigation measures.
• National Green Tribunal (NGT): The environmental clearance has been challenged in the NGT. In December 2025, the NGT reserved its verdict in the case, creating significant regulatory uncertainty for the project's future.
• Tribal Rights (FRA): There have been serious allegations of violation of the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006. Activists claim that the mandatory consent of the Gram Sabhas was not obtained before using the land of the particularly vulnerable tribal group Shompen (PVTG) and Nicobarese tribes.

Government of India's Perspective

The Government views the project as a national interest and emphasizes that its benefits outweigh the challenges:

• National Asset: The government argued in the NGT that the project will become a 'National Asset', strengthening India's maritime capacity and security for decades.
• Mitigation and Monitoring: The government has assured that it has mandated detailed mitigation, conservation, and research programs for the next 30 years, including compensatory afforestation and plans for the relocation of affected wildlife.
• Tribal Welfare: The government has also assured that tribal communities will not be displaced and that Tribal Reserved Areas will remain outside the project's scope.

Analysis:

The Great Nicobar Project is a prime example of the dichotomy between development and ecology.

• Imbalanced Priority: The project's design demonstrates an overriding priority of strategic and economic interests over environmental and tribal concerns. Choosing Galathea Bay, a critical nesting site, for the port reflects this imbalance.
• Lack of Transparency: Questions raised over the quality of the EIA report and the non-disclosure of the High Powered Committee (HPC) report point to a lack of procedural transparency.
• Cost-Benefit Analysis: The long-term costs of irreversible ecological damage and the potential destruction of the culture of vulnerable tribal groups like the Shompen may outweigh the short-term economic gains.

Way Forward

Adopting an inclusive and ecologically sensitive model is essential to ensure the project's success and acceptance:

1. Environmental Revision: The option of shifting the port from Galathea Bay to a less sensitive area should be reconsidered.
2. Strict FRA Compliance: Strict adherence to the FRA, 2006 must be ensured, obtaining the 'informed consent' of the Gram Sabhas of the tribal communities to protect their rights.
3. Independent Monitoring: An independent, multi-disciplinary body should be constituted under the supervision of the Supreme Court or NGT to monitor the project's environmental and social impacts.
4. Phased Development: The project should be executed in small, phased sections, allowing careful study and mitigation of the impacts of each stage.

Conclusion

The Great Nicobar Project is an unprecedented strategic and economic opportunity for India, capable of establishing the nation as a crucial player in the Indian Ocean. However, achieving this national goal by disregarding ecological integrity and tribal rights is not only morally wrong but also risky from the perspective of long-term sustainability. India must ensure that while building a 'Developed India,' the path of development is balanced on the principles of "Security, Sovereignty, and Sustainability," so that this project becomes a global model for responsible development, not destruction.