Development concerns

Nicobar project must be reconsidered

The grandiose Rs 72,000-crore infrastructure development plan for Great Nicobar Island, though formulated after prolonged deliberations, has several worrisome aspects which should not be left unaddressed. This ambitious project, to be implemented over the next 30 years, is conceived, evidently, to exploit the location advantage of this largest of the Andaman and Nicobar group of islands in the Bay of Bengal for economic and strategic gains. This territory is almost equidistant from Colombo in the southwest and Singapore in the southeast. However, the works to be undertaken as part of this project, it is feared, may adversely affect the fragile ecology and rich biodiversity of this region, and jeopardise the rights of the indigenous communities.

This island is known for its pristine and untouched rainforest ecosystems, having unique coral reefs and rare species of turtles and other fauna and flora, which, according to environmentalists, would be unwise to tamper with. Besides, it also lies in the seismically active zone and is prone to maritime hazards like tsunamis. Part of it was actually devastated during the 2004 tsunami, resulting in a heavy loss of tribal population. More importantly, nearly 850 square kilometres (sq km) of the island’s area of around 900 sq km is notified as tribal reserve under the Andaman and Nicobar Protection of Aboriginal Tribes Regulations, 1956. It was also designated as a biosphere reserve in 1989, and made part of Unesco’s “Man and Biosphere Programme” in 2013.
 

This project involves constructing a large transhipment port at Galathea Bay on the Nicobar’s southeastern coast, an international airport, a power plant, and a greenfield township having a network of roads, public transport, hotels, and other facilities, covering about 160 sq km of primary forest land. Given the strategic positioning of the island, the planned port is envisaged to be controlled by the Indian Navy, while the airport would have dual military-cum-civilian functions to cater to the needs of the defence services and tourism. The economic importance of Great Nicobar Island stems from its vicinity to the East-West international shipping corridor, which serves as a passage for a sizable part of the world’s shipping trade. The proposed port can, therefore, become a hub for cargo ships plying on this route.

Nevertheless, environmentalists are worried about the likely deleterious impact of this project on ecology, disaster vulnerability, local communities’ rights, and various other fields. The officially recorded biodiversity of Great Nicobar Island comprises 14 species of mammals, 71 species of amphibians, and 113 species of fish, many of which are either rare or endangered. The protection of leatherback sea turtles, the flagship turtle species of this island, is part of the country’s National Marine Turtle Action Plan. The Galathea Bay is, in fact, among the important marine turtle habitats of India. Moreover, some of the Great Nicobar Island’s native clans, notably the Shompen and Nicobarese tribes, which reside in the dense tropical rain forests, are counted among the world’s least studied and most vulnerable tribal groups that still subsist on hunting and food gathering. Thus, given the vulnerabilities of Great Nicobar Island, and also taking into account its strategic importance in view of the growing Chinese naval incursions in this zone, it might be prudent to modify, if not shelve, the proposed project to minimise damage to its distinctive natural ecosystem.