Great Nicobar project: Zoological Survey to soon seek nod for translocating corals, Pg8

Key Highlights:

• The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) will seek approval to translocate over 16,000 coral colonies impacted by the Great Nicobar Island (GNI) Project.
• The corals are located around the proposed Galathea Bay transshipment port site.
• Coral translocation is a key condition of the environmental clearance for the Rs 81,000 crore mega project.
• The ZSI is collecting data to measure sediment deposition at potential recipient sites for the corals.
• Experts have raised concerns about the feasibility and success rate of moving entire large coral colonies.

Great Nicobar Project.png

Detailed Insights:

• The Great Nicobar Island (GNI) Project is a mega infrastructure initiative by the Indian government, conceived by NITI Aayog and implemented by the Andaman & Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation (ANIIDCO).
• This project encompasses an international container transshipment port at Galathea Bay, a greenfield dual-use airport, a gas-and-solar power plant, and a township.
• Galathea Bay is an ecologically sensitive area within the Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve, recognized for its rich biodiversity and as a crucial nesting ground for Leatherback Turtles.
• The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) is conducting baseline sediment load analysis to understand the impact of capital dredging on corals.
• While ZSI reports a success rate of 68-85% for coral transplants from a project in the Gulf of Kutch, marine biologists express skepticism about translocating entire large colonies.
• The National Green Tribunal (NGT) had previously reviewed challenges to the project's environmental clearance and, in February 2026, upheld the clearance, citing strategic importance and environmental safeguards.
• The ZSI will first seek approval from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands administration, followed by clearance from the wildlife division of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).

Scientific/Technical Concepts Involved:

• Great Nicobar Island (GNI) Project: A large-scale infrastructure development plan on Great Nicobar Island, including a transshipment port, airport, power plant, and township.
• Coral Translocation: The process of moving live coral colonies from one location to another, typically as a mitigation measure for development impacts.
• Capital Dredging: The removal of virgin material from the seabed to create or deepen shipping channels or harbors for new infrastructure.
• Porites: A genus of stony corals known for forming large, massive, or branching colonies, often finger-like or boulder-shaped.
• Favia: A genus of reef-building stony corals, often called "brain corals," forming massive or dome-shaped colonies with distinct corallites.