NGT finds 'no good reason to interfere', clears Rs 80,000 crore controversial Great Nicobar project

The National Green Tribunal on Monday cleared the Rs 80,000 crore controversial Great Nicobar project considering its “strategic importance” and not finding out any “good reason to interfere” because “adequate safeguards” have been provided in the environmental clearance conditions.

A six member bench of the tribunal disposed of the petitions challenging the project with a direction to the authorities and regulatory agencies to ensure full and strict compliance of EC conditions.

The NGT ruling came on a bunch of petitions opposing the international container transshipment terminal, township & area development, a dual-use civil cum military airport and a 450 MVA gas and solar based power plant is proposed in Great Nicobar Island by Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation Limited.

Activist Ashish Kothari challenged environmental, forest and coastal regulatory zone clearances before the tribunal which perused the opposition and also studied the report of an expert committee that it formed to review some of the issues.

“We find that adequate safeguards have been provided in the EC conditions and in the first round of litigation the tribunal had refused to interfere in the EC. The remaining issues noted by the tribunal in the first round of litigation have been dealt with by the high-powered committee. Considering the strategic importance of the project and taking into account the other relevant considerations, we do not find any good ground to interfere,” the NGT said in the order.

The tribunal quoted a 2023 order of the NGT and the recommendations of the high-powered committee to underline the strategic importance of the project, but ruled that the committee’s report could not be shared as it was confidential in nature.

The bench also ruled that there were adequate safeguards for corals and three new wildlife sanctuaries were identified at Little Nicobar Island, Menchal and Meroe Islands for conservation and protection of Leatherback turtle, Megapode and corals.

In a reaction, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said the NGT verdict was disappointing but it was not the last word as the matter was still under argument in the Calcutta High Court.

"The decision of the NGT giving its approval to the Great Nicobar project is deeply disappointing. There is clear evidence that the project will have disastrous ecological impacts," Ramesh said.

"The conditions for its clearance, that the NGT draws reference to, will do little to deal with these long-term consequences. The matter is, however, still under argument in the Calcutta High Court that now is the only beacon of hope," the former environment minister said in a social media post.

In 2023, the NGT dismissed another set of petitions challenging regulatory clearances to the project even as activists claimed that the mega infrastructure project would adversely impact the pristine island’s flora and fauna, and the island’s tribal communities.