Great Nicobar project won’t affect tribals’ interests: Minister

Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav has responded to concerns raised by senior Congress leader and parliamentarian Jairam Ramesh regarding the Great Nicobar mega infrastructure project..

The Great Nicobar Island (GNI) project has been a subject of controversy due to its potential impact on rare and endemic species, rainforests, and the tribal population residing on the island..

Addressing Rameshs concerns about forest diversion, Yadav stated: Despite diversion of forest land for the project, 82% of area in the Great Nicobar continues to be under protected forests, eco-sensitive zones and biosphere reserves... this is much more than laid down norms of maintaining two-thirds of the area under forest cover..

Regarding compensatory afforestation, which Ramesh said was no substitute for the natural ecosystem being lost, and was being done thousands of kilometres away in a vastly different ecology, Yadav said this was because areas for plantation are not available in Great Nicobar Island. the plantation of native species in the non-notified forest land in arid landscape and in the vicinity of urban areas would provide greater ecological value, the minister said..

Due consultation with tribal experts including Anthropological Society of India has also been done to ensure safety, projection and wellbeing of primitive tribal groups in the wake of holistic development of Great Nicobar Project, Yadav asserted, and added that the HPC noted the project would not affect the interests of tribal communities especially the Shompen and that displacement of tribals will not be allowed..

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