Great Nicobar project

Subject : Environment

Section :Places in news

Concept :

Citing a “strategic” imperative, the Union Home Ministry wanted the 8.45-square-km airport component of the Great Nicobar Development project to be kept confidential.
However, the Environment Ministry, in an unprecedented move, has withheld all discussions on the forest clearance to the entire 166.10-sq km project recommended by the statutory Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) in which the airport falls.

About 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 166.1 sq km along the island’s southeastern and southern coasts have been identified for 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.

Forest Advisory Committee

Forest Advisory Committee is a statutory body constituted under the Forest (Conservation) Act 1980.
It comes under the administrative control of the Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change (MoEF&CC).
It is an apex body tasked with adjudicating requests by the industry to raze forest land for commercial gains.
It considers questions on the diversion of forest land for non-forest uses such as mining, industrial projects, townships.
It also advises the government on the issue of granting forest clearances. However, its role is advisory.
Every proposal involving more than 40 hectares of forest land are referred to the Central Government to the Forest Advisory Committee (FAC).
FAC may also suggest any condition or restrictions on the use of any forest land for any non-forest purpose, which in its opinion, would minimize adverse environmental impact.
The MoEF&CC may grant approval after considering the advice of the FAC.
FAC is headed by Director General of Forests, Ministry of Environment and Forests as Chairperson and 3 other officials.
It also contains three non-official members who are experts one each in Mining, Civil Engineering and Development Economics.