Great Nicobar project conforms to environmental laws, doesn’t harm tribal groups: Union minister
Congress MP Jairam Ramesh had flagged concerns about diverting forest land and displacing indigenous communities for proposed infrastructure development.
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The project to develop infrastructure on the Great Nicobar island conforms to environmental rules and does not harm the tribal Shompen community, Union minister Bhupender Yadav claimed, according to The Indian Express.
The environment minister on August 21 responded to a letter that Congress MP Jairam Ramesh wrote to him on August 10.
The Congress leader had called for suspending clearances to the project, citing the diversion of forest land, threats to the Shompen – an indigenous community classified as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group – and concerns about the infrastructure being set up in an earthquake-prone region.
The infrastructure project involves the construction of a trans-shipment port, an international airport, a power plant, a township and tourism infrastructure spread over more than 160 square kilometres of land. The project, expected to cost Rs 72,000 crore, was granted final environmental clearance on November 4, 2022.
Yadav said on August 21 that the approvals to the project were consistent with the Van Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan Adhiniyam, 1980, the Hindustan Times reported.
“Despite diversion of forest land for the project, 82% of area in the Great Nicobar continues to be under protected forests, eco-sensitive zones and biosphere reserves,” the environment minister said. “…This is much more than laid down norms of maintaining two-thirds of the area under forest cover.”
Compensatory afforestation
Ramesh, in his letter...
