India’s Great Nicobar Island development plan faces environmental, indigenous concerns
7 reported2 unconfirmed
The Indian government’s Great Nicobar Project aims to transform the remote Great Nicobar Island into a bustling township over the next three decades, according to a report from NPR. The project, which will cover an area twice the size of Manhattan, includes plans for a civilian and military airport, a transshipment port, a power plant, and a new town designed to host a million tourists annually. Environmentalists and critics have raised concerns about the impact on endangered species, including leatherback turtles and the Nicobarese pigeon, as well as the potential displacement of indigenous communities. The Indian government has stated the project will enhance national security and economic development, with officials insisting it poses no threat to tribal groups or the environment. However, many environmentalists, think tanks, and residents declined to comment or requested anonymity, citing fears of reprisal. The project has drawn criticism from the political opposition and some former officials, while the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has described it as a “strategic gateway to crush China.”
What’s reported
The Great Nicobar Project will cover an area twice the size of Manhattan and include a civilian and military airport, transshipment port, power plant, and a town for a million tourists.
Environmentalists say farms, beaches, and hills will be swallowed up and a million trees felled, threatening endangered animals like leatherback turtles and the Nicobarese pigeon.
The Indian government stated the goal is “to enhance India’s national security, strategic and defense presence, strengthen the islands’ economic position, and accelerate holistic development.”
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party described the project as a “strategic gateway to crush China” in social media posts.
The interior minister Amit Shah promised the project would bring new roads, power, internet, and more than 50,000 jobs to the island.
Nearly a dozen environmentalists, think tanks, public officials, and residents declined to comment or requested anonymity, fearing reprisals.
The government’s environmental impact report proposed using barbed wire to fence off areas inhabited by the Shompen tribe to prevent contact with outsiders.
Open questions
The article does not specify the exact timeline for the project’s completion beyond “over the next three decades.”
It is unclear how the government will address the concerns of indigenous communities regarding displacement and contact with outsiders.
Key figures
Sumit Kumar, field biologist
Manish Chandi, scholar who studied the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago
Bhupendra Yadav, environment minister
Nitya Labh, maritime researcher from Chatham House
Abhijit Singh, former Indian naval officer and expert on maritime affairs
Rahul Gandhi, political opposition leader
Amit Shah, interior minister
Barnabas Manju, Nicobarese chief
Vishvajit Pandya, anthropologist
Sources: NPR
