Resettlement census to begin to make way for Great Nicobar project
The notice called for all families affected by the trunk Infrastructure part of the Great Nicobar Island mega-infrastructure project to keep about 24 different types of documents ready that may be required by the census team
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Context
The Andaman and Nicobar administration has initiated a resettlement and rehabilitation (R&R) census on Great Nicobar Island to pave the way for a massive ₹92,000 crore mega-infrastructure project. The project involves building a transhipment port, an airport, a power plant, and a greenfield township, drawing significant opposition from environmentalists and tribal councils due to ecological and social concerns, while the government emphasizes its strategic and economic importance.
UPSC Perspectives
Environmental
The Great Nicobar project presents a classic conflict between large-scale infrastructure development and ecological conservation. The island is recognized as a UNESCO and is characterized by incredibly rich, endemic biodiversity, including tropical evergreen forests, coral reefs, and the nesting grounds of the Leatherback turtle. The project requires the diversion of a massive tract of pristine forest land, raising serious concerns about deforestation, habitat destruction, and the loss of biodiversity. UPSC aspirants must analyze this within the framework of sustainable development and the (EIA) process. Questions may focus on the effectiveness of compensatory mechanisms, such as , and whether the mitigation measures proposed are sufficient given the ecological fragility of the island ecosystem. The debate centers on balancing economic imperatives with the mandate to protect the environment under of the Constitution.
Social & Tribal
A critical dimension of this project is its impact on (PVTGs), specifically the Shompen and the Nicobarese. The are a reclusive hunter-gatherer community heavily dependent on the island's forests. The influx of outsiders, deforestation, and changing land use threaten their traditional way of life, food security, and potentially their very survival due to lack of immunity to outside diseases. The project tests the efficacy of tribal protection mechanisms, such as the . The initiation of the R&R census highlights the displacement of the Nicobarese, raising questions about (FPIC) as advocated in international frameworks like the ILO Convention 169 (though not ratified by India, it reflects a recognized standard) and the potential violation of the . The tension between national strategic interests and the rights of indigenous communities is a frequent theme in UPSC Mains.
Economic & Strategic
The government justifies the project primarily through the lenses of strategic necessity and economic development. The proposed International Container Transhipment Terminal (ICTT) aims to position India as a major hub in global maritime trade, capturing transhipment cargo currently handled by ports like Colombo or Singapore, thereby reducing logistics costs and increasing forex earnings. However, the reported criticism from the regarding the lack of "strategic objectives" for the commercial port highlights the tension between economic viability and national security narratives. The project is championed as a model for frontier infrastructure development, crucial for asserting India's presence in a strategically vital maritime chokepoint (near the Malacca Strait) amidst growing geopolitical competition in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). UPSC questions could ask candidates to critically evaluate the economic rationale against the environmental costs, or discuss the project's role in India's broader maritime strategy and its 'Act East' policy.