Great Nicobar Islands, situated in the Bay of Bengal, are an essential part of the Indo-Pacific region. Recognizing its significance, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has approved an ambitious Rs 72,000 crore development proposal for this island. The Zoological Survey of India is currently assessing the environmental implications for the coral reef surrounding the island.
Details of the Proposed Development
The plan consists of transforming Great Nicobar Island into a greenfield city where an International Container Trans-shipment Terminal (ICTT), a power plant, and a greenfield international airport would be established. Spanning for the next 30 years, the project will be implemented in three phases. An area of 166.1 sq km along the southeastern and southern coasts would host the project. This development will require forest diversion covering around 130 sq km and might lead to the felling of approximately 9.64 lakh trees.
Purpose of Developing Great Nicobar
The project aims to bring economic and strategic growth. Economically, the location of Great Nicobar being equidistant from Colombo to the southwest and Port Klang and Singapore to the southeast, makes it a potential hub for cargo ships passing through the East-West international shipping corridor. Strategically, the development was proposed as early as the 1970s to fortify national security and consolidate the Indian Ocean Region. The recent increase in Chinese assertion in the Bay of Bengal and the Indo-Pacific region escalates the urgency for this development.
Nature-Related Concerns
However, this massive infrastructure development in an ecologically fragile region has raised alarms among environmentalists. The substantial loss of tree cover could lead to increased runoff and sediment deposits in the ocean, impacting the coral reefs significantly. Additionally, the development could potentially lead to the loss of mangroves on the island.
Government’s Measures to Address Concerns
Addressing these concerns, the government has commissioned the Zoological Survey of India to ascertain how much of the reef needs relocation due to the project. In a similar project earlier, India had successfully translocated a coral reef from the Gulf of Mannar to the Gulf of Kutch. Additionally, a conservation plan for protecting the leatherback turtle is being implemented. Government sources state that the project site is outside the eco-sensitive zones of Campbell Bay and Galathea National Park.
About Great Nicobar Islands
Great Nicobar, the southernmost island of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, spans a total area of 910 sq km. The island separates by a 150-km wide Ten Degree Channel from the other Islands of the cluster. The island is rich in ecological diversity, hosting 650 species of ferns, angiosperms, gymnosperms, bryophytes, and over 1800 fauna species, some of which are endemic to this area.
Ecological Characteristics
The Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve comprises tropical wet evergreen forests, mountain ranges, and coastal plains. There are two national parks – Campbell Bay National Park and Galathea National Park, and a biosphere reserve called Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve. The island is inhabited by tribes like the Mongoloid Shompen Tribe and the Nicobarese.
Source
IE
