{"id":348693,"date":"2025-10-25T21:43:39","date_gmt":"2025-10-25T16:13:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/?p=348693"},"modified":"2025-10-27T21:02:02","modified_gmt":"2025-10-27T15:32:02","slug":"the-mirage-of-port-led-development-in-great-nicobar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/the-mirage-of-port-led-development-in-great-nicobar\/","title":{"rendered":"The Mirage of Port-led Development in Great Nicobar"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS Paper 3 \u2013<\/strong> Ecology and Environment And Infrastructure<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Introduction<br \/>\n<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Supporters claim a mega port at Galathea Bay will make India a regional hub for security and trade. Critics warn of risks to indigenous communities and fragile ecology. A closer look shows <strong>advantages are overstated<\/strong> and <strong>structural flaws are ignored<\/strong>. The question is whether the promises of economic and strategic transformation match on-ground realities. <strong>The Mirage of Port-led Development in Great Nicobar.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-348772\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/The-Mirage-of-Port-led-Development-in-Great-Nicobar.png?resize=449%2C298&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"The Mirage of Port-led Development in Great Nicobar\" width=\"449\" height=\"298\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/The-Mirage-of-Port-led-Development-in-Great-Nicobar.png?resize=300%2C199&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/The-Mirage-of-Port-led-Development-in-Great-Nicobar.png?resize=1024%2C680&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/The-Mirage-of-Port-led-Development-in-Great-Nicobar.png?resize=768%2C510&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/The-Mirage-of-Port-led-Development-in-Great-Nicobar.png?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 449px) 100vw, 449px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2><strong>About Great Nicobar Island Development Project<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong>The Great Nicobar Island Development Project<\/strong> 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).<\/p>\n<p>The Great Nicobar Island Development project includes development of following:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>An International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICTT)<\/li>\n<li>A greenfield international airport<\/li>\n<li>Two greenfield cities<\/li>\n<li>A coastal mass rapid transport system<\/li>\n<li>A free trade zone<\/li>\n<li>International cruise terminal (New addition)<\/li>\n<li>A ship breaking yard (New addition)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>Concern related to the port-led development in Great Nicobar<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li><strong> Weak demand logic:<\/strong> Building capacity will not by itself attract traffic. Hubs grow from <strong>networks, feeder links, cargo base, and carrier loyalty.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong> Missing logistics ecosystem:<\/strong> Great Nicobar has <strong>no hinterland or industry<\/strong>, and sits ~1,200 km from the mainland. Everything\u2014fuel, staff, and provisions\u2014must be shipped, which raises costs and disrupts routes.<\/li>\n<li><strong> Overambitious volume targets:<\/strong> Colombo ports handles <strong>under eight million TEU<\/strong> with established networks. Great Nicobar <strong>aims to double that<\/strong> without committed lines. <strong>This lacks credibility<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong> Strategic rationale misaligned: <\/strong>INS Baaz already enables surveillance in the Indian Ocean. A commercial port is unnecessary for those security functions. If stronger defence posture is needed, state it openly and pursue it directly\u2014not justify it as commercial development.<\/li>\n<li><strong> Not a linchpin for a \u201cmaritime arc\u201d:<\/strong> Vizhinjam and Vadhavan are mainland ports with <strong>their own routes and markets<\/strong>. Great Nicobar is <strong>too distant and has no local cargo<\/strong> to connect or anchor them. So it <strong>cannot act as the central link<\/strong> of any single, seamless network.<\/li>\n<li><strong> Ecological risk:<\/strong> The Andaman &amp; Nicobar Islands are a major global biodiversity hotspot and a carbon reservoir; the mega-plan will affect <strong>13,000 hectares of pristine forests<\/strong>, threatening island ecology.<\/li>\n<li><strong> Forest rights &amp; due process:<\/strong> Serious doubt whether the <strong>Tribal Council of Little and Great Nicobar<\/strong> was allowed to certify settlement of rights under the Forest Rights Act <strong>before<\/strong>forest diversion; a report alleges <strong>false representation<\/strong> that rights were settled.<\/li>\n<li><strong> Pattern of \u201cplanned disasters\u201d:<\/strong> The project echoes a wider pattern where <strong>big multipurpose projects<\/strong> proceed despite environmental law <strong>failing to protect ecology<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong> Undermining international obligations: <\/strong>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.<\/li>\n<li><strong> Seismic Vulnerability:<\/strong> 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.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2><strong>Way forward<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li><strong> Build networks first: <\/strong>Prioritise <strong>carrier ties, feeder services, pricing, and turnaround<\/strong> before adding capacity. Publish <strong>credible traffic paths<\/strong>, realistic timelines, and <strong>clear subsidy limits<\/strong> so lines see <strong>reliable savings<\/strong> and lower risk.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Choose viable sites with full safeguards: <\/strong>Complete <strong>ecology assessments<\/strong>, <strong>community consent<\/strong> (including FRA compliance), and <strong>lifecycle-cost<\/strong> reviews. Prefer locations with <strong>lane proximity, logistics bases, and organic cargo<\/strong>; avoid sites needing <strong>permanent subsidies<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Respect tribal rights: <\/strong>Follow <strong>Shompen Policy (2015)<\/strong> and ensure <strong>rights take priority<\/strong> over large projects.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>4.,<strong>Separate security from commerce: <\/strong>If security upgrades are required, <strong>pursue them transparently<\/strong> and <strong>independently<\/strong> of commercial port claims.<\/p>\n<ol start=\"5\">\n<li><strong>Learn from past failures: <\/strong>Use lessons from <strong>Tehri, Koel Karo, Sardar Sarovar<\/strong> to insist on <strong>community-centred decisions<\/strong> and island-appropriate safeguards.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Eco-friendly construction: <\/strong>The construction of infrastructure should be done using eco-friendly practices like strict adherence to GRIHA code for building construction.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Transparency in data and process: <\/strong>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.<\/li>\n<li><strong> International cooperation: <\/strong>India should enhance Cooperation with countries like Japan, South Korea etc. This will help in developing successful island development models.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Great Nicobar\u2019s plan <strong>overpromises and underprepares<\/strong>. Without networks, cargo base, cost advantages, and clear consent and safeguards, capacity will idle. <strong>Separate security from commerce<\/strong>, choose <strong>viable, low-risk sites<\/strong>, and insist on <strong>transparent economics and ecology reviews<\/strong>. Otherwise, the project risks becoming a <strong>costly lesson<\/strong>, not a regional catalyst.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Question for practice:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Examine the main concerns about the port-led development in Great Nicobar.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/opinion\/op-ed\/the-mirage-of-port-led-development-in-great-nicobar\/article70197906.ece\"><strong>The Hindu<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS Paper 3 \u2013 Ecology and Environment And Infrastructure Introduction Supporters claim a mega port at Galathea Bay will make India a regional hub for security and trade. Critics warn of risks to indigenous communities and fragile ecology. A closer look shows advantages are overstated and structural flaws are ignored. The question&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/the-mirage-of-port-led-development-in-great-nicobar\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">The Mirage of Port-led Development in Great Nicobar<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10320,"featured_media":348772,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1230],"tags":[59,216,10498],"class_list":["post-348693","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-9-pm-daily-articles","tag-environment","tag-gs-paper-3","tag-the-hindu","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/The-Mirage-of-Port-led-Development-in-Great-Nicobar.png?fit=1280%2C850&ssl=1","views":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/348693","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10320"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=348693"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/348693\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/348772"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=348693"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=348693"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=348693"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}