NGT clears Great Nicobar project, says safeguards are adequate

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has given its nod to the proposed International Container Transhipment Terminal at Great Nicobar Island, observing that the environmental clearance (EC) for the ambitious project carries adequate safeguards.

The eastern zonal bench in Kolkata, led by NGT chairperson justice Prakash Shrivastava, delivered the order on Monday while hearing objections to the sprawling development plan — which includes the transhipment terminal, a township, area development works, and a 450 MVA gas- and solar-based power plant.

The project had faced sustained legal challenges, with petitioners alleging violations of the Island Coastal Regulation Zone (ICRZ) notification and raising concerns about its ecological footprint. This marked the second round of litigation over the proposal. In April 2023, the tribunal had largely upheld the environmental clearance but constituted a high-powered committee (HPC) to examine specific environmental and compliance concerns.

In its latest ruling, the tribunal noted that the issues flagged earlier had been addressed by the HPC and that sufficient safeguards were embedded within the EC conditions. Taking into account the project’s strategic importance, the bench said it found no compelling grounds to interfere.

At the same time, the tribunal underscored that development in such an ecologically sensitive zone demands vigilance. Authorities and regulatory agencies, it stressed, must ensure “full and strict compliance” with every condition stipulated in the clearance.

Calling for a calibrated and balanced approach, the tribunal observed that while the project’s strategic value could not be dismissed, neither could the safeguards mandated under the ICRZ framework be overlooked. The development of a port at such a crucial maritime location, it said, must proceed in harmony with environmental imperatives.

The order highlighted a series of specific protections woven into the clearance conditions — including measures to safeguard the leatherback sea turtle, Nicobar megapode, saltwater crocodile, Nicobar macaque, robber crab and other endemic bird species. Provisions also address the impact of invasive species on native flora, conservation of inter-tidal ecosystems, mangrove restoration, coral translocation, and the welfare of the indigenous Shompen and Nicobarese communities.

Importantly, the tribunal stated that no violation of the ICRZ notification had been established. However, it placed responsibility squarely on the Union Environment Ministry to ensure that the proposed constructions — particularly foreshore development — do not trigger shoreline erosion or alter coastal dynamics across the island chain.

The shoreline, the tribunal emphasised, must be preserved, with sandy beaches protected from loss. These fragile stretches serve as nesting grounds for turtles and birds, and as natural buffers shielding the islands from the sea’s relentless advance.

In clearing the project, the NGT has attempted to strike a delicate balance — allowing strategic infrastructure to move forward while insisting that the island’s rare biodiversity and coastal integrity remain vigilantly guarded.

With PTI inputs