The ‘Great Nicobar Project’ initiated by the Indian government has been mired in controversies. Environmental activists are up in arms against the project, giving the opposition another reason to target the ruling party. So, let’s find out what this project is and why it is being opposed.

What is ‘The Great Nicobar Project’?

The Great Nicobar Project is a proposed mega infrastructure project on the southern tip of the island of Great Nicobar in the Andaman Sea of India. Andaman and Nicobar Islands are a Union Territory of India.

NITI Aayog – National Institution for Transforming India, a government organisation working for the development of India, has presented the concept for this mega ₹72,000 crore project. Developed by Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation (ANIIDCO), the project covers important aspects like defence, logistics, commerce and industry, eco-tourism, coastal tourism, coastal regulation zone.

The project involves four major constructions, including a Transshipment Terminal, an International Airport (to be used by both the military and civilians), a Gas and Solar Power Plant spread over 16,610 hectares and two cities with a capacity of 3 lakh people. Currently, the Indian Naval base operates at Campbell Bay, which connects Great Nicobar Island with Car Nicobar and Port Blair air bases by air.

The sea route that passes close to the island is considered one of the busiest sea routes in the world, so the Indian government wants to use the sea route and the island for commercial purposes. Moreover, this project also has a strategic military purpose.

Amidst this controversy, there is also a buzz that the son of a political leader from Gujarat has bought land here. Questions have also been raised about which IFS officer has been given charge to allegedly destroy the Nicobar forests.

What is the reason for the protest?

A committee of experts set up by India’s Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change had approved the project in November 2022 after considering the environmental risks posed by the project and ways to mitigate those risks. Soon after the project was announced, organisations working to preserve the environment began their protest. There are multiple reasons for the protest, which we delve into.

Environmental impact

More than 20 lakh trees on Great Nicobar Island will be chopped for this mega project. Four major projects will require the deforestation of 130 square kilometres of the 244 square kilometre island. At a time when temperatures are continuously rising, summers are getting more severe each year, is it sensible and justifiable to remove 20 lakh trees here in the name of development?

It is not just about destruction of the rainforests. Living in the forest of 20 lakh trees, lakhs of living creatures will lose their habitat. Many of these birds, animals and insects are rare. How many of those homeless creatures will be able to adapt to living elsewhere is a big question. This mass extermination of lakhs of wildlife of thousands of species wouldn’t be short of an environmental disaster. The reason why environmental activists are calling this project ‘ecocide’ (mass destruction of natural resources).

Threats to rare creatures

Great Nicobar Island is home to a variety of creatures, including endangered species. These include the giant leatherback sea turtles, Great Nicobar Crake and Nicobar megapode, mangroves and marine corals spread over hundreds of kilometres. These creatures, which are protected under the Wildlife Protection Act of India, will be destroyed by the government in the name of development.

Survival of tribal groups under threat

Great Nicobar Island is also home to indigenous tribal communities such as ‘Shompen’ and ‘Nicobarese’. The number of Shompen tribes has now dwindled to only 250. The project also threatens the survival of this vulnerable tribal group, which has no contact with the outside world.

Increase in population will give rise to pollution

Only 8,000 people currently live on Great Nicobar Island. The government plans to build two big cities and settle 3 lakh people there. Even if the project goes through, it won’t be a one-time loss. The habitation of 300,000 people will take a toll on the natural resources, which will lead to pollution. Not only the island, but the surrounding environment too will be badly affected.

Towering buildings at risk of earthquakes

Environmentalists are vehemently opposing the project for more than one reason. Activists have accused the government of cheating the tribals. After the 2004 tsunami, the government had resettled the local tribal groups at safe places. Now the government is preventing these groups from returning to their original home, as the government wants to use their habitat for this project, they alleged. This they believe is totally unfair and deceitful.

Moreover, they claimed that Nicobar Island is prone to earthquakes. This area falls in the ‘Ring of Fire’ zone, the most earthquake prone area. Ninety percent of the total earthquakes occurring in the world occur in this zone. On that account, it is dangerous to build towering structures on Great Nicobar Island. If there is an earthquake here in the future, there may be a terrible loss of life and property. That is why environmentalists are calling this project an example of government folly and short-sightedness, terming it as ‘disaster capitalism’.

Demand for a thorough review of the project

The Modi government is terming this ambitious project as the ‘all-round development of Great Nicobar Island’, while the opposition parties have rung the alarm bell. The Congress and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) are vehemently opposing it, citing the huge environmental damage it will cause. The opposition, along with groups opposing the project, have demanded an immediate suspension of all approvals granted to the project and a thorough review of the project, which threatens the rainforests, rare species of animals, and natural habitats of endangered tribes.

Threat to the Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve

There are two major national parks on the Great Nicobar Island – Campbell Bay National Park in the north and Galathea National Park in the south. The Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve was created in 1989 to preserve the flourishing biodiversity in the vast tracts covering these two national parks. The 885 sq km area is protected by UNESCO and is famous for its rare tropical rainforests and wildlife.

About 85 per cent of the forest in the biosphere reserve is still untouched by humans. Species here with abundant botanical diversity include Rudraksha trees and rare orchids. In terms of fauna, the reserve is home to crab-eating macaques, saltwater crocodiles, leatherback sea turtles and Malayan box turtles, Nicobar treeshrews, Nicobar megapodes, coconut crabs, reticulated pythons, Andaman Wild Pig, Asian palm civet, fruit bat, Nicobar pigeon, White-bellied sea-eagle, Great Nicobar serpent eagle, Nicobar parakeets, Asian water monitor lizard etc.

In 2013, UNESCO listed this area under the ‘Man and Biosphere’ (MAB) programme to protect such a diverse and rare ecosystem. Under this programme, efforts are made to preserve the environment with the help of locals and keeping sound science in mind.

What is a Biosphere Reserve, what is its importance?

A Biosphere Reserve (BR) is an ecosystem with wildlife, vegetation, land and/or water bodies existing at any given place and the entire environment revolving around them. To protect places with unique and rare natural features, UNESCO places the area under ‘Biosphere Reserve’. Ecosystem conservation schemes under BR promote research, education and breeding on changes and interactions in ecosystem. It emphasises on ‘judicious use of natural resources’. For example, if fish from a river or wood from wild trees is used by humans, it is used in a way that causes minimal damage to the local ecosystem.

Thus, the Biosphere Reserve can be called a means of resolving the conflict between man and nature. BRs provide local solutions to global challenges by showing us how to adapt to the environment. They include terrestrial, marine and coastal ecosystems. The government of any country can submit its name to UNESCO to declare a special ecological region under its control as a Biosphere Reserve. It gets international recognition once the area is declared BR by UNESCO.

Biosphere Reserve consists of three zones

1) Core Zone: No human activity is permitted in this zone. It is entirely reserved for nature.

2) Buffer Zone: The zone covering the core zone on all sides is considered as buffer zone. Research and experiments can be conducted in this zone by trained personnel and researchers. Local residents are allowed limited access to collect essential items.

3) Transition zone (free zone): This zone is the outermost area of the biosphere reserve, in which human settlements can be established, tourism is allowed and it is open for resource gathering.

Since 1971, the MAB programme has been run worldwide by UNESCO. It has created a network of Biosphere Reserves across the world, which helps to further improve MAB by sharing mutual knowledge, experiences and research results.

Another threat to Nicobar’s wildlife

The wildlife of Nicobar Island is also under threat from foreign invaders. Poachers from neighbouring countries often infiltrate the area to prey on sea cucumbers and steal the nests of the swiftlet bird. Both are in high demand in the food market. They also hunt for crocodiles, turtles and other wildlife. Using modern weapons and high speed boats, the poachers keep the forest department personnel at bay.

With the wildlife already under threat, the start of ‘The Great Nicobar Project’ by the Indian government in the name of development spells disaster for the ecologically-sensitive Nicobar Island.