The Great Nicobar Island Development Project- Significance and Challenges- Explained Pointwise

The NITI Aayog’s conceived ‘The Great Nicobar Island Development Project‘ is in news again as it is facing protests and appeals to halt the project on environmental grounds by conservationists, naturalists, various political parties and civil society groups.

This development project has been promoted as a ‘mega-infrastructure project‘ and a ‘strategic masterstroke‘ by the NITI Aayog. The project is of critical importance for defence, logistics, commerce and industries, and eco-tourism. Hence, these benefits and the risks associated with the project needs to be comprehensively evaluated.

What is the Great Nicobar Island Development Project?

The Great Nicobar Project- The project involves a comprehensive Rs 72,000-crore infrastructure upgrade on Great Nicobar Island. It is being implemented by the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation (ANIIDCO).

The project covers 16,610 hectares and aims to leverage the island’s strategic location near the Malacca Strait. The Great Nicobar Island Development project includes developing an
1. An International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICTT)
2. A greenfield international airport
3. Two greenfield cities
4. A coastal mass rapid transport system
5. A free trade zone

Geography of the Great Nicobar Island

The island of Great Nicobar is the southernmost tip of India and a part of the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago that comprises 600-odd islands. It is hilly and covered with lush rainforests. It receives around 3,500 mm of annual rainfall.

The rainforests and beaches host numerous endangered and endemic species including the giant leatherback turtle, the Nicobar megapode, the Great Nicobar crake, the Nicobar crab-eating macaque, and the Nicobar tree shrew. It has an area of 910 sq km with mangroves and Pandan forests along its coast.

What is the significance of Great Nicobar Island Development Project?

1. Geo-strategic benefit- Great Nicobar Island is located close to the Malacca Strait, which is the main waterway connecting the Indian Ocean to the Pacific. The Great Nicobar Island Project aims to take advantage of this strategic position to enhance India’s role in the regional and global maritime economy.

2. Geo-Security Concerns- The Bay of Bengal and Indian Ocean region are vital for India’s strategic and security interests, especially with the Chinese naval expansion. The project will strengthen India’s maritime security and deterrence capabilities.

3. Upgradation of military infrastructure- The Great Nicobar project also helps in the upgradation of military infrastructure by the establishment of airfields, jetties, and surveillance facilities.

4. Economic Boost- The project includes an International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICTT), which can make Great Nicobar a significant player in cargo trans shipment. The ICTT is expected to boost economic activities in the region.

5. Creation of Job opportunities for locals- The Nicobar plan involves the creation of infrastructure (ports, airports etc.). This will help in creation of job opportunities for the locals.

6. Tourism Development- It helps in creation of tourism prospects in the region. This will aid the income generation in the region. The per capita income in Andaman & Nicobar Islands for the year 2015-16 was Rs. 1,24,361. This was much lower than the per-capita income of other Union Territories (Chandigarh, Delhi, and Puducherry.)

7. Social Benefits- The Project would help in the creation of affordable state-of-the-art facilities for healthcare, quality education, and adequate air, sea and web infrastructure.
It will also facilitate the delivery of e-governance services such as telemedicine and tele-education, as a part of the Digital India initiative.

What are the associated concerns with the project?

1. Threat to biodiversity- Nearly a million trees could be felled as part of the project. This could potentially devastate the island’s ecosystem, including coral reefs, the Nicobar Megapode bird, and leatherback turtles. The compensatory afforestation is being planned in Haryana.

2. Threat to rights of Indigenous Tribes- The proposed Nicobar project endangers the rights of the Shompen and Nicobarese tribes, living on the island. It also violates the letter and spirit of the Forest Rights Act (2006), which holds the Shompen as the sole legally empowered authority to protect, preserve, regulate and manage the tribal reserve.

3. Seismic Vulnerability- The proposed port which is an integral part of this project, is located in a seismically volatile zone, which experienced permanent subsidence of around 15 feet during the 2004 tsunami. This raises concerns about the safety and viability of constructing such a large-scale infrastructure project in a high-risk, disaster-prone area.

4. Lack of Adequate Consultation- The project has been pushed through without adequate deliberations of all the stakeholders like the The Tribal Council. The National Green Tribunal’s high-powered committee’s report reviewing the environmental clearances has also not been made public.

5. Undermining international obligations- The Galathea Bay Wildlife Sanctuary located in the Great Nicobar Island forms part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Hence the preservation of this pristine biodiversity is an International Obligation of India.

6. Lack of adequate Social Impact Assessment- The Campbell Bay panchayat has raised concerns regarding the lack of adequate social impact assessment before land acquisition. For ex- Increased contact with outsiders, will increase the risks of Shompen tribe to diseases for which their immunity is not developed.

7. Economic unviability- The aspiration to replicate Singapore/Hong Kong duty-free ports/free trade zones on remote Great Nicobar Island (2,000 km from Chennai and Kolkata) without a hinterland, resources or industrial backup makes it economically unviable and unrealistic.

What Should be the Way Forward?

We must aim to address the trilemma of infrastructure development, preserving pristine biodiversity respect and being sensitive to the rights of the indigenous inhabitants, and tribals. Following measures should be adopted to address the trilemma-

1. Due regards to tribal rights- The development work must be carried out with due regard to tribal rights. This should involve proper adherence to policies like the Shompen Policy of 2015. The Shompen Policy of 2015 calls for giving priority to tribal rights over large scale development proposals.

2. Separation of security and development capabilties- The security capabilities of Andaman and Nicobar Island need to be addressed separately. This must have no linkage with the developments contemplated for Great Nicobar Island.

3. Reassesment of economic feasibility of the project- The project lies equidistant (1,300 km) from established transhipment hubs and bunkering ports of Singapore, Port Klang (Malaysia) and Hambantota (Sri Lanka). Hence the economic viability of yet another transhipment terminal in Great Nicobar Island needs to be reassessed, especially since India inaugrated its own transhipment terminal in Vizhinjam in Kerala.

4. Proper Social and Environmental Impact Assessment- Any construction under the Great Nicobar Development plan should involve a proper and detailed Environment impact assessment (as mandated by the Environment Protection Act 1986). This will make development more socially and environmentally feasible.

5. Eco-friendly Construction- The construction of infrastructure should be done using eco-friendly practices like strict adherence to GRIHA code for building construction.

6. Transparency in Data and Report- NITI Aayog and the agencies participating in planning should maintain transparency in data. The government should release the data on the rationale, the process of creation, consulted groups etc. in public domain. This will give a holistic view to critics and supporters.

7. Enhanced International Cooperation- India should enhance Cooperation with countries like Japan, South Korea etc. This will help in developing successful island development models.

8. Exploration of other Islands- Other islands in the the Nicobar group, apart from GNI, like Little Nicobar, Nancowry, Kamorta and Katchall can be explored. These could accommodate most components of such a project, without risking environmental, ecological and anthropological damage on large scale.

Conclusion

India needs to achieve the Vision of “Happy and Prosperous Islanders on ecologically-protected Islands”. To achieve that, India needs to adopt development plans that are technically feasible, economically profitable and socially acceptable.