Great Nicobar Project may see 9.64 lakh trees axed, says Minister
1 year, 4 months ago

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

The Hindu  

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 Ashwini Kumar Choubey in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday. 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”. “The estimated number of trees to be felled in forest area earmarked for development in Great Nicobar Project is 9.64 lakh. Also read | National Commission for Scheduled Tribes flags alleged discrepancies in Forest Rights Act compliance for Great Nicobar Project

Forest Project Great Nicobar Great Nicobar Great Nicobar Project Lakh Trees  964  forest  great  environment  lakh  trees  ministry  nicobar  species  development  project  axed  minister

History of this topic

Wildlife nods spiked in 2023; Nicobar plan to cost over ₹81K crore
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Wildlife nods spiked in 2023; Nicobar plan to cost over ₹81K crore

Hindustan Times  

No objections were raised by the tribal communities against the Great Nicobar project during the “statutory period” for such feedback under the law, the Union government has submitted in parliament, a position that could be significant against the backdrop of Tribal Council of the Indian Ocean island announcing it had rescinded its permission for a controversial plan to carry out …

Over 2L trees to be cut in Chhatisgarh’s Hasdeo Arand for mining: Centre tells RS
4 months, 4 weeks ago

Over 2L trees to be cut in Chhatisgarh’s Hasdeo Arand for mining: Centre tells RS

Hindustan Times  

New Delhi: The Centre on Thursday informed the Rajya Sabha that around 273,000 more trees are likely to be felled in coming years for mining in Hasdeo Arand forests as the wildlife and biodiversity institutions have not recommended a complete ban on mining. The Union environment ministry in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday shared information on two of the most …

Congress demands suspension of environment clearance given to Nicobar project
6 months ago

Congress demands suspension of environment clearance given to Nicobar project

Hindustan Times  

The Congress has demanded the immediate suspension of all environment and forest clearances granted for the proposed “Holistic Development of Great Nicobar Island in Andaman & Nicobar Islands” on the grounds that it is a “grave threat to the region’s tribal communities and natural ecosystem”. In a statement issued on Monday, member of Parliament and Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh …

Congress demands withdrawal of clearances to Great Nicobar infrastructure project
6 months ago

Congress demands withdrawal of clearances to Great Nicobar infrastructure project

The Hindu  

The Congress party on June 17 demanded the withdrawal of clearances and a ground-up review of the ₹72,000 crore infrastructure project, being championed by the National Democratic Alliance government, at the Great Nicobar Island. The Great Nicobar Project, as it is called, involves developing a trans-shipment port, an international airport, township development, and a 450 MVA gas and solar-based power …

National Commission for Scheduled Tribes flags alleged discrepancies in Forest Rights Act compliance for Great Nicobar Project
1 year, 7 months ago

National Commission for Scheduled Tribes flags alleged discrepancies in Forest Rights Act compliance for Great Nicobar Project

The Hindu  

The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes has now flagged alleged discrepancies with respect to the forest clearance granted for the ₹72,000-crore Great Nicobar Island Project. Citing alleged violations under the Forest Rights Act, 2006, among others, it has issued a notice to district authorities in Andaman and Nicobar islands on grounds that the project will significantly affect the rights of …

NGT panel to review green nod for Greater Nicobar project
1 year, 8 months ago

NGT panel to review green nod for Greater Nicobar project

Hindustan Times  

New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal has constituted a high powered committee headed by the secretary, union environment ministry to revisit the environmental clearance granted by the environment ministry to the Great Nicobar township and area development and other infrastructure projects involving an area of 16610 hectares in the ecologically fragile islands. NGT issued this order on April 3 after …

Great Nicobar project will not evict tribes, says Centre
1 year, 8 months ago

Great Nicobar project will not evict tribes, says Centre

The Hindu  

Displacement of tribespeople will not be allowed to make room for the ₹72,000 crore Great Nicobar island project, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs told the Rajya Sabha on March 29. However, the Tribal Affairs Ministry said that the utilisation of tribal reserve area will be subject to the interests of the local tribespeople living in the area, especially the Shompen …

Former civil servants write to President on Great Nicobar island plan
1 year, 11 months ago

Former civil servants write to President on Great Nicobar island plan

The Hindu  

The Constitutional Conduct Group, which includes nearly 100 former civil servants, has written to President Droupadi Murmu protesting the government’s push for a mega-infrastructure project in the Great Nicobar island. of forest in Great Nicobar island for a ₹72,000-crore project that includes a trans-shipment port, an airport, a power plant and a greenfield township. The area is nearly 15% of …

Proposed infrastructure project in Great Nicobar Island a mega folly
1 year, 11 months ago

Proposed infrastructure project in Great Nicobar Island a mega folly

The Hindu  

Published : Jan 12, 2023 10:30 IST In a series of developments that have unfolded with uncharacteristic speed and coordination over the past two years, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has cleared the decks for a mega infrastructure project in Great Nicobar Island situated at the southern tip of the Andaman and Nicobar Island group in the …

Rajya Sabha MP Binoy Viswam asks PM Modi to revoke clearance for Great Nicobar Island project
2 years, 1 month ago

Rajya Sabha MP Binoy Viswam asks PM Modi to revoke clearance for Great Nicobar Island project

The Hindu  

Rajya Sabha MP Binoy Viswam on Friday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to revoke the clearance provided for the diversion of nearly 130.75 sq.km of forest area in the Great Nicobar island for a development project. The Union Environment Ministry has in principle granted its permission for the diversion of nearly 130.75 sq km forest area in the Great Nicobar …

What Is The Center's Plan For Great Nicobar Island and Why Is It Troubling?
2 years, 1 month ago

What Is The Center's Plan For Great Nicobar Island and Why Is It Troubling?

The Quint  

On What Basis Was the Project Given Clearance? According to The Hindu, the letter is signed by Suneet Bhardwaj, Assistant Inspector General of Forests, the letter and states that permisssion has been granted following a “careful examination” of the island administration’s request for the same dated 7 October 2020 and “on basis of the recommendations of the Forest Advisory Committee …

Great Nicobar project gets in-principle clearance for diversion of 130 sq km of forest
2 years, 1 month ago

Great Nicobar project gets in-principle clearance for diversion of 130 sq km of forest

The Hindu  

The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has granted an in-principle clearance for the diversion of 130.75 sq km of forest in Great Nicobar Island for the mega ₹72,000-crore project that includes a transshipment port, an airport, a power plant and a greenfield township. This is doubly significant because these are primary evergreen tropical forests with high biological …

‘Inaccuracies, procedural violations’ in Great Nicobar draft environment impact assessment report
2 years, 10 months ago

‘Inaccuracies, procedural violations’ in Great Nicobar draft environment impact assessment report

The Hindu  

The details of the recently released draft environment impact assessment report for the mega development project in the Great Nicobar Island have raised serious questions related to submission of incorrect or incomplete information, scientific inaccuracy and failure to follow appropriate procedure. The EIA says in another place no migratory birds have been reported from Great Nicobar, whereas it is well …

Discover Related