The Great Nicobar Island Development Project (GNI): Strategic Infrastructure and Ecological Concerns

The Great Nicobar Island Development Project (GNI) is a mega infrastructure initiative aimed at boosting India’s strategic, economic, and maritime capabilities, while raising important environmental and tribal rights concerns.

Table of Contents

Context

With the Great Nicobar Island megainfrastructure project “nearing approval”, members of the Tribal Council in Little and Great Nicobar alleged that they are being pressured by the district administration to “surrender our ancestral lands” to make way for the project.

About Great Nicobar Island Development Project (GNI)

Launched in 2021, the GNI Project envisions developing the southern tip of Great Nicobar Island into a global trans-shipment hub. Spearheaded by NITI Aayog and ANIIDCO, the ₹72,000 crore project includes:
- Trans-shipment port at Galathea Bay (capacity: 16 million TEUs/year)
- International airport (dual civil-military use)
- 450 MVA gas & solar power plant
- Township for 3 lakh residents over 166 sq km
Intended Objectives
- Strengthen India’s logistics and shipping network.
- Enhance defence preparedness in the eastern Indian Ocean.
- Generate employment and tourism opportunities for the region.

Significance of the GNI

Strategic and Defense
- - Geostrategic Location: Great Nicobar Island sits near the mouth of the Malacca Strait, one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, through which one-third of global sea trade passes. It is also in proximity to the vital Sunda Strait and Lombok Strait, and the Coco Islands.
  - Defense Capability: Developing a naval-capable deep-water port and an airfield will significantly strengthen India’s existing tri-services military command.
    - This allows India to position ships, aircraft, and drones closer to the eastern Indian Ocean’s strategic crossroads to monitor critical sea lanes and enhance regional security.
Economic and Connectivity
Regional Maritime Hub: The establishment of a Transhipment Port will attract cargo that is currently handled by ports in nearby countries like Singapore or Colombo, capitalizing on the island’s closeness to the Malacca Strait.–> Currently, nearly 75% of India’s transhipped cargo is handled outside the country.

Economic Benefits: The project is expected to generate significant economic advantages, including forex savings, attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), increasing economic activity at other Indian ports, and generally improving logistics infrastructure.
Improved Connectivity: The development will enhance the island’s connection to the Indian mainland and other destinations, making Great Nicobar more accessible for tourism, trade, and strategic logistics.

Risks Associated with the GNI

Ecological Risks

Massive Deforestation: The project will destroy 130 sq km of tropical rainforest, with over 10 million trees likely to be cut, leading to massive biodiversity loss.
Threat to Endangered Species: It threatens the nesting habitat of the endangered leatherback sea turtle in Galathea Bay, violating the Marine Turtle Action Plan (2021).
Coastal and Marine Ecosystem Damage: Port construction in CRZ 1A areas endangers coral reefs and marine ecosystems through dredging and industrial activity.
Increased Disaster Vulnerability: The project increases disaster risk in Seismic Zone V and weakens natural coastal defences against tsunamis and climate shocks.

Social Risks

Disruption of Indigenous Communities: The project could displace indigenous tribes like the Shompens and Nicobarese, disrupting their sustainable lifestyle, traditional ecological knowledge, and forest-based subsistence practices.
Weak Afforestation Substitutes: Compensatory planting in Haryana or Madhya Pradesh cannot mimic the ecological value of Nicobar’s tropical forests.

Read More: Links
Environment Notes	Art and Culture Notes
Science and Tech	History Notes
Geography Notes	Indian Polity Notes
General Knowledge	International Relation