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Hindustan Times
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Another overarching panel for Great Nicobar project
The Union ministry of environment forests and climate change (MoEFCC) set up a a new 'overarching committee' last year to will ensure the implementation of the report of the high powered committee appointed by it on instructions from the National Green Tribunal to review environmental clearance conditions for the Great Nicobar Holistic Development project that has not been made public for reasons of national security. 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.
Hindustan Times
11-05-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Nicobar tribes watch as key road project gathers pace in the region
The Andaman and Nicobar Administration has invited financial bids to conduct a social impact assessment for land proposed to be acquired for an arterial road at Great Nicobar Islands (GNI) under the Great Nicobar Holistic Development Project , according to documents seen by HT. The so-called trunk road infrastructure will involve acquisition of approximately 90.935 hectares of private land for which a social impact assessment is mandatory. A total of 666.44 hectares is likely to be impacted by the trunk infrastructure, a notification issued by the directorate of social welfare, A&N administration on April 11 stated. The notification is available on the website of directorate of social welfare, A&N. Also read | Not aware of objections to Great Nicobar project: Govt The affected revenue villages in the trunk infrastructure project are Campbell Bay, Gandhi Nagar, Jogindher Nager, Govind Nagar , Laxmi Nagar, and Vijay Nagar. The road also traverses through a large stretch of forest area as per the map provided by the administration in the tender document. 'ANIIDCO Ltd Sri Vijaya Puram will be undertaking the work of constructing Trunk infrastructure at Great Nicobar Islands. The proposed land is admeasuring an area of 666.44 ha and the affected area to be covered under SIA study is 90.943 ha,' the notification says adding that the SIA report and social impact management plan should be completed within 6 months of issuance of the notification. Also read | 7 offshore mining blocks in Nicobar approved, Parl told ANIIDCO (Andaman & Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation Ltd) has been appointed as project proponent. ANIIDCO has submitted an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report to Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) for obtaining consolidated environmental and Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance for the project, the tender document stated. Anthropologists have cautioned that such a road project needs the consent of tribal communities and forest dwellers such as the Shompen and the Nicobarese who are likely to impacted by it. 'It's important to understand how such a multi-infrastructure project impacts the Nicobarese and the Shompen. We know that the Andaman trunk route had a huge impact on the Jarawas exposing them to several negative sides of tourism and access. Such a trunk route could erode the Shompen culture. If at all, a road can connect the Nicobarese and Shompen villages because they have a symbiotic relationship. It's also very important to have the actual consent of these tribal communities,' said Anstice Justin, a Nicobarese anthropologist based on Port Blair. Also read | 'The Shompen way of life is set to be eroded,' says Nicobarese anthropologist Anstice Justin 'It's also very important to consider that the Shompen have very vulnerable immune systems compared to us,' he added. But such communities are not part of the social impact assessment, another expert added. 'The document doesn't mention the tribal villages affected nor even shows cause as to why they are not being included when it is precisely their ancestral and lived lands,' said a senior researcher who specialises on the Southern Nicobarese, who asked not to be named. The SIA is to be conducted in compliance with the Right to Fair Compensation; Right to Fair Transparency in Land Acquisition, Compensation and Transparency in Rehabilitation and Resettlement Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation Act,2013; and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency In Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation And Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Rules,2018. ANIIDCO did not respond to HT's queries on whether the assessment will cover particularly vulnerable tribal groups such as the Shompen and how impact on forest land will be impacted. 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. 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. HT reported on May 12, 2021 that the expert appraisal committee of environment ministry recommended the Great Nicobar township proposal for grant of terms of reference. Bhupender Yadav, union environment minister said in August last year that 'exemplary mitigation measures' have been incorporated to minimise the environmental impact of the project, 'keeping the strategic, national and defence interests' in mind. The Tribal Affairs Ministry is not aware of any objections raised by the Tribal Council of Little and Great Nicobar to the Great Nicobar mega infrastructure project, Union Tribal Affairs minister, Jual Oram said in Rajya Sabha in March.
