Great Nicobar Project may see 9.64 lakh trees axed, says Minister

The Hindu had reported in November 2022, based on documents then available, that the Environment Ministry had estimated that close to 8.5 lakh trees were expected to be cut for the project

The Great Nicobar Project, which envisages construction of a trans-shipment port, an international airport, a township and a gas and solar-based power plant, is to come up on over 130 square km of pristine forest with rich biological diversity. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

The Union government’s ambitious ₹72,000-crore Great Nicobar Project may see 9.64 lakh, and not 8.5 lakh, trees felled to enable the construction of a trans-shipment port, an international airport, township development, and a 450 MVA gas and solar-based power plant in the Great Nicobar island, according to a response by Minister of State (Environment) Ashwini Kumar Choubey in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday. However, there is also a possibility that fewer trees may be axed, he indicated.

The Great Nicobar Project, which is likely to come up over 130 square km of pristine forest, has been accorded environmental clearance by an expert committee. However, this was challenged by the National Green Tribunal (NGT), following which the NGT constituted an expert committee in April to investigate aspects of the clearance.

Though details of a project being appraised for environmental clearance are usually made available on a public portal, maintained by the Environment Ministry, details on the Great Nicobar Project have not been put up, it is learnt, following instructions from the Ministry of Home Affairs which has classified the project as one of “strategic importance”.

However, as The Hindu had reported in November 2022, based on documents then available, the Environment Ministry on its own had estimated that close to 8.5 lakh trees were expected to be cut for the project. These are evergreen tropical forests with high biological diversity and the island itself is home to nearly 650 species of flora and 330 species of fauna, including endemic species such as the Nicobar shrew, the Nicobar long-tailed macaque, the Great Nicobar crested serpent eagle, the Nicobar paradise flycatcher and the Nicobar megapode, among many others.

“The estimated number of trees to be felled in forest area earmarked for development in Great Nicobar Project is 9.64 lakh. Further, it is expected that about 15% of development area will remain as green and open spaces. Thus, potential tree felling would be less than 9.64 lakh. Moreover, this tree felling will be done in a phased manner,” said Mr. Choubey.

In lieu of the trees being chopped, compensatory afforestation would be carried out in Haryana as “the scope of plantation in Andaman and Nicobar Islands is very limited,” the Minister noted. Planting trees in an “arid landscape” and in “the vicinity of the urban areas” would provide greater ecological value, he added. The government of Haryana has agreed to provide an area of 261.5 square km for compensatory afforestation.