Great Nicobar project: map ready for denotification of tribal reserve

For Preliminary Examination:  Current events of national and international Significance

For Mains Examination: GS III - Environment and Ecology

Context:

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands administration has prepared a map for the denotification and renotification of tribal reserve land for the Great Nicobar Island mega-infrastructure project, and will soon be finalising the sites for setting up towers in these lands.

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Geographic Information System (GIS) 

Eleven degree Channel

Key takeaways:

• The Great Nicobar Island (GNI) mega-infrastructure project is one of India’s most ambitious development initiatives, aimed at transforming the southernmost island of the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago into a major economic and strategic hub.
• Envisioned with an estimated investment of ₹92,000 crore, the project is being implemented by the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation (ANIIDCO) and includes multiple large-scale components such as an international transhipment port, an airport, a power plant, and a modern township.
• The goal of this project is to enhance India’s maritime trade capacity, particularly in the Bay of Bengal and the Indo-Pacific region, and to strengthen its strategic presence near the Malacca Strait, one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.
• The transhipment port is expected to handle large cargo vessels and reduce dependence on foreign ports, while the airport will improve connectivity between Great Nicobar and mainland India.
• The township and supporting infrastructure, including power and communication networks, are designed to attract investment and promote economic growth in this remote region.
• However, the project has been surrounded by environmental and social controversies. Great Nicobar Island is ecologically sensitive, home to rich tropical rainforests, rare species, and indigenous tribes such as the Shompen and the Nicobarese.
• The administration has initiated steps for denotifying and renotifying tribal reserve lands to make space for project infrastructure, supported by a Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping exercise. Alongside this, a Comprehensive Tribal Welfare Plan is being prepared to ensure the well-being of tribal communities affected by the development.
• Despite these assurances, the project faces legal challenges in various courts and tribunals. Environmentalists and tribal rights advocates have raised concerns about the potential loss of biodiversity, displacement of indigenous populations, and possible violations of the Forest Rights Act, 2006, which mandates the settlement of tribal and community forest rights before any land diversion.
• The Calcutta High Court is currently examining petitions questioning whether these rights were duly settled in accordance with the law