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Senior Congress leader and former Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh wrote to Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav in June 2026, warning that the ₹72,000-crore Great Nicobar Island mega-project risks irreversible ecological damage. Ramesh accused the government of bypassing comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) norms by relying on limited, seasonal survey data. Simultaneously, the government reported that over 15,000 coral colonies have been translocated from the Galathea Bay port construction zone under the supervision of the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), as part of court-mandated ecological mitigation measures.

What Is the Great Nicobar Project?

The Great Nicobar Island Development Project is a ₹72,000-crore (~$8.6 billion) holistic development initiative for India’s southernmost island, strategically located at the intersection of the Malacca Strait and the Indian Ocean. It is being implemented by the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation (ANIIDCO) under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, with Central support.

Four Core Components

Component Details
Transshipment Port International container transshipment terminal at Galathea Bay; target: 16 million TEUs/year
Greenfield Airport International airport to support logistics and tourism
Township Planned urban settlement for project workforce and future residents
Power Plant 450 MW gas-based power plant (later revised to include solar)

Why Is Great Nicobar Strategically Important?

Great Nicobar Island lies only 150 km from the Malacca Strait — through which ~80% of India’s oil imports and a large share of global trade pass. A deep-water port here would:

  • Enable India to compete with Singapore and Port Klang as a transshipment hub
  • Provide the Indian Navy with a strategic forward base in the southern Indian Ocean
  • Counter Chinese String of Pearls ports (Hambantota in Sri Lanka, Gwadar in Pakistan, Kyaukphyu in Myanmar)

Environmental Concerns

Key Ecological Sensitivities

Issue Details
Forest area 130 sq km of tropical rainforest to be cleared — one of the world’s richest biodiversity zones
Leatherback sea turtle Galathea Bay is India’s most important nesting ground for Leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) — IUCN Vulnerable, Schedule I of WPA 1972
Coral reefs Port construction requires destruction of coral reefs in Galathea Bay; 15,000+ colonies translocated
Nicobar Megapode Critically endangered endemic bird nesting in the construction zone
Shompen tribe Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) — estimated 200–400 individuals; entirely dependent on the island’s forest ecosystem

Jairam Ramesh’s Specific Objections

  1. EIA was conducted using only 4 months of survey data (October–January season), missing the monsoon season when ecological activity peaks
  2. Galathea Bay’s coral reef is a unique ecosystem that translocation cannot replicate
  3. Shompen rights under Forest Rights Act and PESA not adequately protected
  4. Leatherback nesting is incompatible with active port construction noise and light pollution

Government’s Position

  • The National Green Tribunal reviewed the project and found the EIA process broadly compliant
  • ZSI supervises coral translocation; the government designated no-activity zones during nesting season (December–March)
  • The project has received all statutory environmental clearances
  • The government argues that strategic national interest and economic benefits outweigh localized ecological concerns

EIA Process in India

The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, 2006 governs environmental clearance for major development projects. Key steps:

  1. Screening — determine if EIA is required
  2. Scoping — define the scope of the study
  3. EIA Study — field surveys, impact prediction
  4. Public Hearing — mandatory for affected communities
  5. Expert Appraisal — by Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC), MoEFCC
  6. Grant/Rejection of Environmental Clearance (EC) — by MoEFCC

The critique: EIA Notification 2006 allows post-facto clearances in certain cases, exempts some strategic projects, and does not mandate a minimum survey duration. A new EIA Draft 2020 — which proposed further dilutions — was withdrawn after protests.

UPSC Relevance

Prelims

  • Project cost: ₹72,000 crore
  • Location: Great Nicobar Island, Andaman & Nicobar Union Territory
  • Key component: International container transshipment terminal at Galathea Bay
  • Coral colonies translocated: 15,000+ (supervised by ZSI)
  • Key turtle species: Leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) — IUCN Vulnerable
  • Indigenous community: Shompen (PVTG)
  • Distance from Malacca Strait: ~150 km
  • Implementing agency: ANIIDCO

Mains Angles

  1. GS3 — EIA and Environmental Governance: Critically examine the EIA process in India. Is the Great Nicobar case a failure of the system or its working?
  2. GS2 — Tribal Rights: How do Forest Rights Act 2006 and PESA 1996 protect PVTGs like the Shompen? Are their protections adequate in large infrastructure projects?
  3. GS3 — Strategic Infrastructure vs. Environment: Can India’s national security imperatives be pursued without compromising ecological integrity? Use the Great Nicobar case.

Facts Corner

Fact Detail
Project cost ₹72,000 crore
Location Galathea Bay, Great Nicobar Island
Implementing agency ANIIDCO
Coral colonies translocated 15,000+ (ZSI supervised)
No-activity zone period December–March (turtle nesting)
Key turtle species Leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea)
Indigenous community Shompen (PVTG, ~200–400 persons)
Distance from Malacca Strait ~150 km
Critic (Congress) Jairam Ramesh
Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav

Source: Great Nicobar Mega-Project: Jairam Ramesh Warns of Ecological Havoc as Coral Translocation Proceeds — Ujiyari.com | Free UPSC & State PCS Current Affairs