As many as 9.6 lakh trees are likely to be felled for the Great Nicobar Island Project, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav told Lok Sabha during the ongoing Budget session of Parliament on Monday.
The huge infrastructure project worth Rs 72,000 crore was given a go-ahead by the government in October 2022 and involves diversion of nearly 130.75 Sq. km of forest land in the ecologically-fragile Great Nicobar Island. The government plans to develop an International Container Transhipment Terminal (ICTP) at Galathea Bay in the southern end of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a greenfield international airport, a power plant, as well as a township for the personnel who will implement the project.
Highlighting that the the project is of “significant strategic and national importance,” Yadav said, “The estimated number of trees to be affected is 9.64 lakhs. More than 50% i.e. 65.99 Sq. km of the area proposed for diversion is reserved for green development where no tree felling is envisaged. It is expected that about 15% of the development area would continue to remain as green and open spaces and therefore the number of trees likely to be affected is going to be less than 9.64 lakhs.”
The project has come under heavy criticism because of the massive, long-term impact it is likely to have on the local environment, as well as the flora and fauna of the island. There have also been concerns over how it will lead to potential displacement of indigenous tribes, and disrupt the unique ecology of the pristine island.
However, the minister responded by stating that the approval granted by the Central Government is in consonance with the policies and programme of the government, which also include adequate mitigation measures to compensate the impact of development on flora and fauna as part of the Environmental Clearance/Forest Clearance conditions.
“The conditions stipulated under the Environmental Clearance (EC) has provisions for preparation of Biodiversity Conservation / Management Plan for the Great Nicobar Island ecosystem with inputs from Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), Botanical Survey of India (BSI) and Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE),” said Yadav while responding to a question raised by MP Asaduddin Owaisi.
Earlier, the environment ministry had to also respond to concerns over the impact on the breeding grounds of leatherback turtles which may be altered due to the project.
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