Another overarching panel for Great Nicobar project
The formation of the new committee has come to light only now. In annexures submitted by MoEFCC along with its affidavit to the NGT in Ashish Kothari Vs MoEFCC on July 5, the ministry said the overarching committee was formed to oversee smooth coordination between monitoring and implementing agencies for implementation of wildlife conservation plans and tribal welfare plans as per the environmental clearance and coastal regulation zone (CRZ) clearance for holistic development of Great Nicobar Island project.
The overarching committee is headed by Chief Secretary, A & N Administration and its members include: Managing Director, Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation Limited (ANIIDCO); Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, A & N Administration; Secretary (Tribal Welfare), A & N Administration; Director (Zoological Survey of India); Director (Botanical Survey of India); Director (Wildlife Institute of India); and Executive Director (GNI), ANIIDCO as the member secretary of the committee.
Interestingly, the members are the same as the high powered committee except that the high powered committee also included Secretary, MoEFCC; and nominees from ministry of shipping and Niti Aayog. To be sure, environmentalists have pointed out that the disturbing pattern of people reviewing their own decisions continues. The high-powered committee set up by NGT comprised people who were essentially reviewing their own decisions. Now, an 'overarching committee' will comprise the same people ensuring the implementation of their own report.
'The (overarching) committee shall coordinate between the Project Proponent (ANIIDCO), institutions and departments of A&N Administration for resolving issues if any for implementation of wildlife conservation plans and tribal welfare plans as per the environment and CRZ clearance for holistic development of Great Nicobar Island project,' MoEFCC's office memo dated January 2, 2024 states. The memo is also part of the court filings.
The members of the new committee met on March 4 and heard presentations from various research institutions on how they will be utilising funds made available for compliance of EC and CRZ conditions.
The minutes indicate that most agencies are in very early stages of hiring staff, planning the interventions etc. For example, WII was provided ₹15.72 crores by the Centre for undertaking conservation plans for the leatherback turtles, Nicobar Megapode and Saltwater Crocodiles. WII said it would recruit staff by April ; ₹24.50 crores was released to Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History which said it would start hiring staff to draft conservation plans for bird hazard risk in relation to international airport being constructed; the coconut crab; endemic tree cavity nesting birds of Nicobar archipelago; and Nicobar Long-tailed Macaque. The Ministry of Home Affairs sanctioned ₹88.69 crores in December 2024 for the first year of implementation of various conservation plans.
The ministry's high powered committee report which concluded that 'the rigor of environmental appraisal has ensured that adequate environmental safeguards have been incorporated in the general and specific conditions of EC...' The detailed report was submitted to NGT in a sealed cover along with other documents and the affidavit.
NGT in its judgment dated April 3, 2023 constituted the high-powered committee headed by the secretary, MoEFCC, to revisit the environmental clearance granted by the ministry to the Great Nicobar township and area development and other infrastructure projects involving an area of 16,610 hectares in the ecologically fragile islands.
The report of the high-powered committee (HPC) on the Great Nicobar mega infrastructure project has not been made public as it takes into account issues and facts related to the strategic, defence and national security of the country, the Union environment ministry told the Rajya Sabha last year.
'Why are there so many committees being formed but somehow their members are the same people who have facilitated, proposed or cleared the project? Further, the minutes of the meetings of monitoring committees are not being uploaded on ANIIDCO's website as mandated by the EC or in the case of the High Powered Committee the report is being kept confidential. Why is there so much secrecy around the project and who is ensuring accountability?' asked a researcher who is tracking the project.
The Great Nicobar Holistic Development Project has four major components : an International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICCT); an international airport; a power plant; and a township. There is also a Trunk Infrastructure Road that will cut through Great Nicobar Island. The total cost is estimated at ₹81,800 crore. The Nicobar Islands fall in the Sundaland Biodiversity Hotspot and cover the western half of the Indonesian archipelago.
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