Why in the News?
A special bench of the National Green Tribunal has declined to interfere with the environmental clearance granted to the ₹80,000 crore Great Nicobar Mega Infrastructure Project, citing its strategic importance and the presence of adequate safeguards.
About Great Nicobar Island
- The southernmost island of the Nicobar group
- Located in the southeastern Bay of Bengal
- Area: ~910 sq km
- Largely covered with tropical rainforest
- Ecologically sensitive and sparsely populated
About the Great Nicobar Mega Project
- Total project area: 166 sq km
- Forest diversion: 130 sq km
- Trees to be felled: Nearly 1 million
Major Components:
- International transshipment port
- Integrated township
- Civil and military airport
- 450 MVA gas and solar based power plant
Key Environmental Issues Raised
- Violation of the Island Coastal Regulation Zone notification 2019
- Development in prohibited ICRZ areas
- Insufficient baseline environmental data
- Threat to endemic biodiversity and coral reefs
- The NGT relied on findings of a High Powered Committee constituted after its 2023 order.
NGT’s Key Observations
- No part of the project falls in prohibited ICRZ areas as per committee findings
- Environmental clearance contains adequate safeguards
- Strategic importance of the project cannot be ignored
- Balanced approach required between ecology and development
About Island Coastal Regulation Zone ICRZ
- Notified under Environment Protection Act 1986
- Regulates development in coastal areas of Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep islands
- Categorises areas such as ICRZ IA and IB with varying restrictions
| [2017] Which of the following is geographically closest to Great Nicobar?
(a) Sumatra (b) Borneo (c) Java (d) Sri Lanka |
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