A feasibility report, commissioned by NITI Aayog, was prepared by AECOM India. On 25 May 2021, terms of reference of project was granted after meeting held by Expert Appraisal Committee.[1]
Geography
Excluding the area from Campbell Bay on western side of the island to the Galathea Bay in the south and the whole southern tip, the rest of Great Nicobar Island is part of Galathea National Park and the larger Campbell Bay National Park.[5] Galathea River, flowing north to south, meets the Indian Ocean at Galathea Bay.[6]Indira Point in the Galathea Bay, India's southernmost point,[7] is 145km or 80 nautical miles north of Indonesia's northernmost island, Rondo Island in Sabang district of Aceh province of Sumatra,[8] near to which is Indonesia's deep sea port, Sabang (612km or 330 nautical miles south of Indira Point), jointly upgraded by India and Indonesia in 2019 under the strategic military and economic collaboration to protect the channel between Great Nicobar Island and Rondo Island.[9]
Holistic Master Plan for this project, outside the Galathea National Park, covers an area of 166.10 sq km covering seven revenue villages, which fall under the jurisdiction of three Gram Panchayats.[10]
Project
The total project cost is ₹75,000 crore (US$9.4 b in 2022)[11] was conceived by NITI Aayog and is being developed by Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation (ANIIDC).[4][1] offering geostrategic importance for defence, logistics, commerce and industries, eco-tourism, coastal tourism, and Coastal Regulation Zone.[12] The project, to be completed in phases over 30 year,[13] includes:
Great Nicobar International Airport (GNIA), a greenfield airport on immediate northeast side of Galathea Bay with peak hour capacity of 4,000 passengers.[1][5]
Great Nicobar Gas and Solar Power Plant (Great Nicobar GSPP) on immediate northwest side of and Galathea Bay with 450-MVA capacity, spread over 16,610 hectares.[1][5]
Two new greenfield coastal cities[1] one on the southeast side of the Great Nicobar Island between Campbell Bay and Galathea Bay and another on southwest side of the Great Nicobar Island to the west of Galathea Bay.[5]
After weighing the following pros and cons, benefits, risk and mitigation strategies, the project was granted the environmental clearance by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC)'s Expert Appraisal Committee in November 2022.[17][18]
Flora
Due to this project, island will lose 12 to 20 hectares of mangrove cover,[19] which the government will be compensating by afforestation in Haryana's Aravallis as per rules which allow for such remote compensatory afforestation.[11]
Coral
To mitigate the risk of loss of corals, the corals will be translocated in the reefs around the island.[19]
Fauna
The Great Nicobar project, located within 10km radius ecologically sensitive zone near Galthea Bay, threatens rare fauna such as Leatherback sea turtle, salt water crocodile, Nicobar macaque.[19] While the MoEFCC proposed 3 conservation sites on Little Nicobar, Menchal Island and Meroe Island to mitigate risks, the Tribal Council of Campbell Bay opposes these sanctuaries, citing a lack of consultation and their long-standing coexistence with the island's wildlife.[17][20]
Human
The Great Nicobar Island development project, including planned cities in the region with additional population of over 350,000, raises concerns with Ministry of Tribal Affairs about its impact on the 1,761-member indigenous Shompen and Nicobarese tribes. Despite residing mainly outside the project area, which affects 10% of their reserve, the project's projected population increase poses a significant threat.[21][22] Experts, including genocide specialists and Survival International, warn of potential cultural destruction and disease vulnerability, potentially leading to extinction, citing the Shompen's legal rights under the Forest Rights Act and their lack of immunity to outside diseases.[23]
Present status
2023 Jan: Bids submitted by vendors for the ₹41,000-crore (US$8 b) mega international container transhipment port (ICTP) at Galathea Bay were opened, phase-1 port with 4 million TEUs will be completed by 2028.[14] Ten Companies which filled Expression of Interest are Adani Ports & SEZ, Container Corporation of India, Essar Ports, JSW Infrastructure, Megha Engineering & Infrastructures, Navayuga Engineering, PDP International, Rail Vikas Nigam, Royal Boskalis Westminster N. V., Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, and Vishwa Samudra Holdings.,[24]
2025 Apr: NTPC invited bid for a 5 MW solar power project with battery energy storage capacity of up to 4 to 12 MWh.[25] 7 deep-sea mining blocks off the coast of the Great Nicobar Island were awarded, and Offshore Areas Mineral Trust as a non-profit autonomous body has been established which will use the funds received for research and expenditure related to mitigate any adverse impact caused to the ecology in the offshore area due to mining operations.[26] 2 of the total 3 gram panchayat in the project area, Laxminagar and Govindnagar, have also granted permission to the project.[10]
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