National Green Tribunal (NGT) clears Rs 81,000-crore Great Nicobar Mega Infrastructure Project

Key facts

• The National Green Tribunal (NGT) special bench, led by Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava, upheld the environmental clearance for the Rs 81,000-crore Great Nicobar mega infrastructure project.
• The project covers 166 sq km and involves the construction of a transshipment port, an integrated township, a civil and military airport, and a 450-MVA gas and solar power-based plant.
• The development requires the diversion of 130 sq km of forest land and the felling of nearly one million trees on Great Nicobar Island.
• A High-Powered Committee (HPC) headed by former environment secretary Leena Nandan was constituted to review the project environmental clearance (EC) and compliance.
• The NGT confirmed that the project adheres to the Island Coastal Regulation Zone (ICRZ) notification, 2019, and does not fall within prohibited coastal areas.
• The tribunal mandated specific conservation measures for endemic species, including the leatherback sea turtle, Nicobar megapode, saltwater crocodiles, robber crab, and Nicobar macaque.
• The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) reported that no coral reefs exist within the immediate project area and recommended the translocation of scattered coral reefs.
• The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) is directed to prevent shoreline erosion and protect sandy beaches used as nesting sites for turtles and birds.