Wildlife nods spiked in 2023; Nicobar plan to cost over ₹81K crore
Wildlife clearances increased nearly three times in 2023-24, compared to 2022-23, with 125 such projects recommended in Ladakh alone in 2023-24
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position that could be significant against the backdrop of Tribal Council of the Indian Ocean island announcing it had rescinded its permission for a controversial plan to carry out large scale projects.
The Union environment ministry also said the total cost is pegged at ₹81,834.22 crore, around ₹7,000 crore more than envisaged in the project plan.
Responding to a separate question, the ministry also submitted that wildlife clearances increased nearly three times in 2023-24, compared to 2022-23, with 125 such projects recommended in Ladakh alone in 2023-24. Such clearances are required for projects in wildlife-rich areas.
The second response was to a question by Ahilesh Prasad Singh, Congress MP from Bihar, in which minister of state for environment, Kirti Vardhan Singh informed the house that 421 project proposals were recommended by the Standing Committee of the National board for Wild Life (SCNBWL) that is chaired by Union minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change in 2023-24. This number was 144 in 2022-23; 149 in 2021-22; 85 in 2020-21 and 71 in 2019-20.
Of this, 125 wildlife clearances were for Ladakh last year, 1 in Andaman and Nicobar; 27 in West Bengal;12 in Andhra Pradesh; 53 in Telangana; 32 in Maharashtra.
Great Nicobar Project to cost over ₹81,800 cr
The total estimated project cost for the port, airport, power plant and trunk infrastructure for township for the Holistic Development of Great Nicobar Island in Andaman and Nicobar Islands project is Rs. 81834.22 crores which includes the estimated budget for wildlife conservation plan, compensatory afforestation, tribal welfare plans, conservation and mitigation measures during construction and operation of port, airport, township and power plant and the monitoring program.
In the information provided by the project proponent, Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation, available on ministry’s Parivesh website, the cost stated was ₹75000 Crore.
Responding to a question by Nadimul Haque, MP from AITMC, Kirti Vardhan Singh, said the chairman of the Tribal Council, Campbell Bay, Little and Great Nicobar were duly consulted during the meeting held on 13.8.2022 and no objections were raised during the statutory period prescribed in the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006.
HT reported on April 14, 2023 that the Tribal Council of Little and Great Nicobar had in November 2022, withdrawn the no objection certificate (NOC) given for diversion of land in August that year— roughly half of which is tribal reserve land — for the controversial Great Nicobar Township and other infrastructure projects. In another letter dated August 20, 2022, the Council had also requested the UT administration to facilitate the relocation of the Nicobarese of Great Nicobar Island to their pre-2004 Tsunami villages at the earliest.
HT reported on July 29 that Members of the Tribal Council, requesting anonymity, said they are yet to receive a response from the government on the withdrawal of the NOC as well as the request for relocation.
“The inhabitants of the region were duly represented at the public hearing through the Andaman Adim Janjati Vikas Samiti(AAJVS) whose views were also considered. It was also noted that the only habitation of Shompens or Nicobarese in the project area is at New Chingen, Rajiv Nagar and the Administration is not proposing displacement of any tribal habitations. Further, due consultation with the tribal experts including Anthropological Survey of India (AnSI) has also been conducted in order to ensure the safety, protection, welfare and well-being of the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) in the wake of Holistic Development of GNI project. Further, as per the condition of Environmental Clearance one of the Committee is exclusively prescribed to oversee the welfare and issues related to Shompen and Nicobarese,” the response said.
On Thursday, Congress leader, Jairam Ramesh also raised the matter in Rajya Sabha. “I asked the Minister for Environment, Forest, and Climate Change about the Great Nicobar Mega Infra Project in Parliament today. The project envisions a calamitous destruction of forests -- home to the Shompen tribe, and a vast array of wildlife -- on Great Nicobar Island, for a project that has not gone through the due process of environmental and legal consultations with all stakeholders. The planned compensatory afforestation is no substitute whatsoever for the loss of natural forests,” Ramesh wrote on X adding: “Previously -- in view of the numerous violations of due process, legal and Constitutional provisions protecting Tribal communities, and the project’s disproportionate ecological and human cost -- we had demanded an immediate suspension of all clearances.”
Union environment minister, Bhupender Yadav responded saying all regulations have been followed to issue environmental clearances to the project. “We consulted experts, decided area for compensatory afforestation, consulted scientific institutions like the Zoological Survey of India and Botanical Survey of India.”
Haque had sought details of the environmental and financial impact of the Great Nicobar project; whether it is a fact that the Tribal Council of Nicobar Island has withdrawn its ‘no objection’ given in 2022, if so, the details thereof; whether Government has held consultations with the original inhabitants of the region, the Shompens and Nicobarese, if not, the reasons therefor among others.