Nicobar project will not disturb or displace tribes: Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav

Sub: Env

Sec: Protected Areas

Development Impact on Indigenous Tribes:

The Environment Minister, Bhupendra Yadav, assured that the development of a port and airport in the Nicobar Islands as part of the ₹72,000-crore Great Nicobar Project would not disturb or displace the Shompen tribe, a vulnerable indigenous group.

Strategic and Economic Justifications:

The project aims to counter China’s regional influence, prevent marine resource theft by Myanmarese poachers, bridge infrastructure gaps, and promote international trade.

Great Nicobar is home to:

Two national parks (Galathea Bay and Campbell Bay NPs),
A biosphere reserve (Great Nicobar BR), and
The Shompen and Nicobarese tribal peoples, and
- Ex-servicemen from Punjab, Maharashtra, and Andhra Pradesh who were settled on the island in the 1970s.

About the Great Nicobar Development Project:

A “greenfield city” has been proposed, including
- An International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICTT),
- A Greenfield International Airport,
- A power plant, and
- A township for the personnel who will implement the project.
A total of 166.1 sq km along the island’s southeastern and southern coasts have been identified for the project along a coastal strip of width between 2 km and 4 km.
Some 130 sq km of forests have been sanctioned for diversion, and 9.64 lakh trees are likely to be felled.
The port will be controlled by the Indian Navy, while the airport will have dual military-civilian functions and will cater to tourism as well.
Roads, public transport, water supply and waste management facilities, and several hotels have been planned to cater to tourists.

Project Implementation Timeline:

Development activities are proposed to commence in the financial year 2022-23, and the port is expected to be commissioned by 2027-28.
The project is to be implemented in 3 phases over the next 30 years.
More than 1 lakh new direct jobs and 1.5 lakh indirect jobs are likely to be created on the island over the period of development.

Source: TH