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It will open the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to loot and plunder. It involves felling 15 million trees and encroaching upon the land of the reclusive Shompen tribals.
700 miles from the Indian mainland and scattered across the Bay of Bengal near the mouth of the Strait of Malacca lie India’s Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The archipelago is known for its rich biodiversity, which includes nine National Parks, 96 wildlife sanctuaries and a major UNESCO-recognized Biosphere Reserve — the Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve.
This island chain is now at the center of a controversy. The fragile ecosystem and biosphere of the Great Nicobar island, in particular, is in danger of being wiped out by the Narendra Modi-led government’s plans to “develop” the island chain via the Great Nicobar Project.
Proposed in 2021, the massive infrastructural project pegged at a cost of around $7.5 million involves the construction of an international airport, a trans-shipment port, and a township. In its draft plan for the island, the government explicitly states that the project will see the Nicobar Island emerge as a major tourism and entertainment hub.
