Nod For Rs 80,000-Crore Great Nicobar Mega Infra Project: NGT’s ‘Balanced Approach’ Explained

Last Updated:February 18, 2026, 15:41 IST

Great Nicobar Mega Project: NGT refused to interfere with environmental clearance granted in November 2022, citing project's strategic national importance, "adequate safeguards"

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has cleared the Rs 80,000-crore Great Nicobar Island mega infrastructure project.

The tribunal’s special six-member bench, headed by Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava, refused to interfere with the environmental clearance (EC) originally granted in November 2022, citing the project’s strategic national importance and the presence of “adequate safeguards".

The NGT’s decision followed a report from a High-Powered Committee (HPC), which was formed in 2023 to address earlier deficiencies in the clearance process.

The project, spearheaded by the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation (ANIIDCO), includes an International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICTT), a greenfield international airport, a power plant, and a township.

What is the Great Nicobar Mega Project?

The Great Nicobar Island (GNI) project, officially known as the ‘Holistic Development of Great Nicobar Island’, aims to transform India’s southernmost island into a major global maritime and strategic hub.

The project spans 166 sq km (about 10% of the island) and includes four primary pillars:

International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICTT): Located at Galathea Bay, this deep-sea port is the centerpiece. It aims to capture global trade passing through the Malacca Strait, reducing India’s reliance on foreign ports like Colombo and Singapore.

Greenfield International Airport: A dual-use facility for both civilian tourism and military logistics, capable of handling wide-body aircraft.

Integrated Township: Designed to support a future population of over 3.5 lakh people, up from the current 8,000.

Gas & Solar Power Plant: A 450-MVA hybrid plant to provide energy self-sufficiency for the new infrastructure.

The island is just 40 nautical miles from one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, Malacca Strait, where 40% of global trade passes. It serves as India’s “first line of defence," providing a forward base to monitor naval movements in the Indo-Pacific, particularly countering regional influence from other powers. Currently, 75% of India’s transshipment cargo is handled outside the country. This project aims to bring that revenue and logistical control back to India.

The project is being implemented in phases, with the first phase of the port targeted for completion by 2028.

What were the concerns?

Diversion of 130 sq km of forest and felling nearly one million trees.

Impact on primary nesting grounds of the Giant Leatherback sea turtle and the habitat of the endemic Nicobar Megapode.

Survival of the Shompen, a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group, and Nicobarese tribes.

Great Nicobar is in a high-risk seismic zone (Zone V) and was severely affected by the 2004 tsunami, raising concerns about building permanent mega-infrastructure on such unstable ground.

What the NGT said

The tribunal on February 16 emphasised a “balanced approach," ruling that the project’s significance for national security and trade near the Malacca Strait outweighed the grounds for halting it.

Relying on Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) findings, the NGT noted no major reefs are in the direct project footprint but mandated the translocation of approximately 16,000 coral colonies found nearby.

Directives were issued to ensure no loss of sandy beaches, which are critical nesting grounds for the Leatherback sea turtle and the Nicobar megapode.

The tribunal concluded that the project does not fall within prohibited Island Coastal Regulation Zone (ICRZ-IA) areas, dismissing petitioners’ claims of regulatory violations.

The NGT noted that the government must adhere to welfare conditions for the Shompen (a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group) and Nicobarese communities, though local leaders have alleged coercion in land surrender.

Scrutiny continues

While the NGT has disposed of environmental clearance challenges, the project remains under scrutiny:

Calcutta High Court: Forest clearance for the project is still being argued here, which critics describe as the “only beacon of hope" for halting the project.

Environmentalists and political figures, including Jairam Ramesh, have termed the ruling “deeply disappointing," warning of “disastrous ecological impacts" such as the felling of over 10 million trees and the displacement of indigenous tribes.

With Agency Inputs

News explainers Nod For Rs 80,000-Crore Great Nicobar Mega Infra Project: NGT’s ‘Balanced Approach’ Explained

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