Context: Recently, the opposition party has described the proposed Rs 72,000-crore infrastructure upgrade at the Great Nicobar Island as a "grave threat" to the island's indigenous inhabitants and fragile ecosystem, and demanded immediate suspension of all clearances and a thorough, impartial review of the proposed project, including by the concerned Parliamentary committees.

About Andaman and Nicobar Islands

• Location: The islands are located 1,300 km southeast of the Indian mainland in the Bay of Bengal.It extends from 6° 45′ N to 13° 41′ N and from 92° 12′ E to 93° 57′ E.

• This archipelago is composed of more than 500 big and small islands, which are divided into two distinct groups of islands – The Andaman Islands and the Nicobar Islands.

• ‘Ten Degree Channel’ separates the Andaman Islands in the north from the Nicobar Islands in the south.

• The Andaman Islands: These islands are divided into three major sub-groups – North Andaman, Middle Andaman, and South Andaman.The capital city of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands Port Blair is located in South Andaman.

• The Nicobar Islands: These islands are divided into three major sub-groups – Northern Group, Central Group, and Southern Group.The Great Nicobar is the largest and the southernmost island in the group located in the Southern Group.India’s southernmost point ‘Indira Point’ is located at the southern tip of the Great Nicobar.

Other Features

• Most of these islands have a volcanic base and are made of tertiary sandstone, limestone, and shale.

• The Barren and Narcondam islands, north of Port Blair, are volcanic islands.Some of the islands are fringed with coral reefs.

• Saddle Peak (737 m) in North Andaman is the highest peak in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.The names of the following three islands were changed in 2018:

1. Ross Island – renamed as Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Dweep

2. Neil Island – renamed as Shaheed Dweep

3. Havelock Island – renamed as Swaraj Dweep

The Great Nicobar Project

• The Project involves developing an International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICTT), an international airport, township development, and a 450 MVA gas and solar-based power plant on the island.

• The ICTT is expected to allow Great Nicobar to participate in the regional and global maritime economy by becoming a major player in cargo transshipment. 

• A proposed “greenfield city” will tap into both the maritime and tourism potential of the island.

• The site for the proposed ICTT and power plant is Galathea Bay on the southeastern corner of Great Nicobar Island, where there is no human habitation.

Strategic Importance of the Island

• The Malacca Strait, the main waterway that connects the Indian Ocean to the Pacific, is very close to the islands of Andaman and Nicobar. Hence this can help India counter China’s ‘String of Pearls’ strategy.

• Sabang in Indonesia is 90 nautical miles southeast of Indira Point (on Great Nicobar island), and Coco Island in Myanmar is 18 nautical miles from the northernmost tip of the Andamans. 

• The islands share four of India’s international maritime zone delimitations with Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia, and Bangladesh. 

• They also give India substantial ocean space under the United Nations Conference on the Laws of the Sea (UNCLOS) in terms of exclusive economic zone and continental shelf.

Environmental concerns of the Project

• Ecological Threats: The destruction of forests and habitats poses a serious threat to the island’s biodiversity, including various endemic and endangered species.

• Rights Violation: The project allegedly violates the rights of the Shompen, a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) of hunter-gatherers. The disruption of their traditional lands and lifestyle raises human rights concerns.

• Inadequate Consultation: Critics argue that the local administration has not sufficiently consulted the Tribal Council of Great and Little Nicobar Islands, as required by law.

• Threat to Marine Species: The construction and associated activities will destroy coral reefs, and would also have a cascading effect on the local marine ecosystem.

• Volatile Zone: The proposed port is situated in a seismically active zone that experienced a significant geological event during the 2004 tsunami, leading to concerns about the safety and long-term stability of the infrastructure in such a location.

Road Ahead

• In April 2023, the Kolkata Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) declined to interfere with the environmental and forest clearance granted to the project. 

• The Tribunal, however, ordered that a high-power committee should be constituted to look into the clearances.