The container terminal that could sink the Great Nicobar Island

The container terminal that could sink the Great Nicobar Island

Subject :Environment

Section: Biodiversity

Context:

• The government of India is pursuing a massive development project involving a container terminal, airport, township, and a power plant on the Great Nicobar Island in the strategically important Andaman and Nicobar Islands region.
• Those opposing the project also highlight that it would adversely impact primitive tribal groups and wildlife including species such as leatherback turtles, saltwater crocodiles, Nicobar crab-eating macaque and migratory birds.
• Civil society organisations have called for a revaluation of the project as they noted it falls in an active high-risk seismic zone.
• Great Nicobar Island
  • It is the southernmost part of the Indian territory, is one of the most strategically important areas, in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands region. In fact, it is closer to Myanmar and Sumatra than to the Indian mainland, and, in 2013, it was included in UNESCO’s biosphere programme.
  • It has “one of the best-preserved tropical rain forests in the world.”.
  • It also has Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve .
• PVTG
  • 75 tribal groups have been categorised by the Ministry of Home Affairs as PVTGs.
  • The Ministry of Tribal Affairs implements the Scheme of ‘Development of PVTGs’ exclusively for them.
  • Article 366 (25) of the Constitution provides a process to define Scheduled Tribes.
  • In 1973, the Dhebar Commission created Primitive Tribal Groups (PTGs) as a separate category, who are less developed among the tribal groups. In 2006, the Government of India renamed the PTGs as PVTGs.
  • Among the 75 listed PVTG’s the highest number are found in Odisha.
  • There are five PVTGs in the Andaman islands such as Great Andamanese, Jarawas, Onges, Sentineles and Shom Pens.