Great Nicobar project ‘most fundamentally a commercial enterprise’: Jairam Ramesh, Pg9

Key Highlights:

• Congress MP Jairam Ramesh has challenged Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's assertion that the Great Nicobar Island Project is a strategically vital national initiative.
• Ramesh contends the project is primarily a commercial enterprise, with the strategic rationale being "invented."
• He highlighted that the trans-shipment port at Galathea Bay accounts for approximately half of the project's budget, making it commercial by definition.
• The proposed dual-purpose airport, the only component with a defence focus, requires only 5% of the land and 10% of the budget, according to Ramesh.
• Concerns were reiterated regarding environmental and social costs, including the felling of forest-covered hills and impacts on the Shompen tribal land.

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Detailed Insights:

• The Great Nicobar Island Project is a proposed mega-infrastructure development estimated at ₹72,000 crore, aiming to transform the island into an economic and strategic hub.
• The project includes an International Container Transshipment Terminal at Galathea Bay, a greenfield international airport, a power plant, and a township.
• Jairam Ramesh argued that the Draft Master Plan for 2047, envisaging cruise tourism, casinos, and a finance hub, resembles an ambitious real estate project.
• An alternative suggested by Ramesh is the expansion of the existing INS Baaz naval air station at Campbell Bay, which he believes would incur lower environmental and social costs.
• The project faces criticism for its potential impact on the indigenous Shompen tribe, who are a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG), and the island's rich biodiversity.
• The confidentiality of the National Green Tribunal (NGT)-appointed High-Powered Committee report was also questioned by the MP.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Great Nicobar Island Project: A large-scale infrastructure development plan for Great Nicobar Island, including a port, airport, power plant, and township.
• Trans-shipment port: A port where cargo is transferred from one vessel to another for onward journey, often optimizing routes and reducing costs.
• Greenfield airport: A new airport constructed entirely from scratch on previously undeveloped land, allowing for modern design and operations.
• Shompen tribe: An indigenous, particularly vulnerable tribal group residing in the interior of Great Nicobar Island, dependent on the rainforest.
• INS Baaz: India's southernmost naval air station, located at Campbell Bay on Great Nicobar Island, crucial for maritime surveillance.
• National Green Tribunal (NGT): A statutory body established under the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010, for expeditious disposal of cases related to environmental protection and conservation.