1. Background
₹72,000 crore mega-infrastructure project in Great Nicobar Island.
Poses danger to indigenous tribes, fragile ecosystem, and disaster-prone area.
Criticised as half-baked & ill-conceived policymaking.
2. Indigenous Tribes Affected
Nicobarese Tribe & Shompen Tribe (PVTG).
Nicobarese villages fall in project’s proposed land.
Displaced earlier in 2004 tsunami; now permanently uprooted.
Shompen reserve to be destroyed → threatens last pristine ecosystems.
Will cause large-scale influx of outsiders, disrupting tribal survival.
3. Legal & Constitutional Concerns
Tribal rights sidelined in violation of:
Forest Rights Act (2006) → gives Shompen rights to protect forests.
Article 338-A (Constitution) → safeguard for Scheduled Tribes.
Social Impact Assessment (SIA) bypassed.
HPC (High-Powered Committee) ignored tribal voices → truth withheld.
4. Ecological & Environmental Impact
Cutting down 8.5 lakh trees (15% of island’s forests).
Risk to endangered species:
Nicobar long-tailed macaque.
Sea turtle nesting sites.
Coral reefs, biodiversity hotspots.
Project in seismic & tsunami-prone zone → unsafe.
5. Flaws in Environmental Assessment
Assessments done off-season for turtle nesting.
Drones used → limited scope, ignored critical data.
Independent experts call methodology flawed & misleading.
6. Conclusion / Criticism
Seen as environmental & humanitarian catastrophe.
Ignores tribal rights, biodiversity, disaster risks.
Driven by investment & profit, not sustainability.
Urgent need for collective resistance to protect tribes and ecosystems.
