Brig PKG Mishra (Retd)
AN article ‘Remember the Island, The Tribe & Nature’ in The Times of India, Delhi edition of October 14 highlighted the negatives of the ambitious Niti Aayog GNI (Great Nicobar Island) flagship project under the holistic development of island programme.
The project includes developing an international transshipment terminal (ICTT) at Galathea Bay, a greenfield international airport, a township and a 450 MVA gas and solar based power plant. It is one of the key projects under the vision of Vikasit Bharat: 2047 and Maritime India: 2030.
In the article, the author duo, both ex-Indian Forest Service officers, primarily emphasised the ill effects of the Project on a PVTC (particular vulnerable tribal group), the Shompen tribe. They also raised an alarm on the likely loss of biodiversity due to overlapping of the project area with Unesco biosphere reserves endangering vulnerable species of turtles and megapodes. In addition, negative impact of felling of approximately one million trees on our stated carbon emission goals for 2030 has also been highlighted.
Strategic interest
All these observations and concerns are valid and well taken. But then, as a nation, we need to safeguard our long-term strategic interest as well. I have already highlighted in one of my previous articles, the importance of development of GNI along with integration of Indonesia in Quad as our strategic response to what is likely to happen in South China Sea (SCS) in favour of China by 2047, the exact time period that we have envisaged for creating a ‘Vikasit Bharat’. Come 2047 and Hong Kong would have completed the prevailing 50 years transitionary period of one Nation Two Rules (1997- 2047) and would thus get fully integrated with mainland China. By then, presumably China would have definitely taken some concrete steps to achieve its stated unfinished agenda on Taiwan.
The disadvantageous geographical location makes China very sensitive to Strait of Malacca. In fact, it accepts it, as its dilemma. Hence it tries to somehow offset that through other compensatory actions in IOR as well as South China Sea. Complete sovereignty of China over Hong Kong and Taiwan also can be viewed from that perspective. India can ill afford to lose sight of the likelihood of a major strategic development unfolding in its close proximity.
That is where the GNI Project comes in to play. Once developed, it has a potential to become a global major port almost at the mouth of Strait of Malacca. In addition, if India individually, and as member of Quad can continue to bolster its ties with the ASEAN members in the wake of the recent visit of PM Modi to Laos, it has potential to pay major strategic dividends in the region. In fact, the GNI project per se should be considered as a strategic compulsion for India, if it wants to checkmate China in its own game.
Twin objectives
Yes, safety and preservation of vulnerable tribes, endangered species, threatened biodiversity are also equally important and by no means can be ignored at the cost of development. However, there are ways and means to achieve the twin objectives. The Government is accordingly moving ahead with guarded caution. Commencing 2021, the GNI project is being implemented in three phases over a period of 30 years.
The Andaman and Nicobar Island Integrated Development Corporation (ANIIDCO) has been earmarked as the nodal agency for coordinating the project. The environmental clearance for Phase I has been granted by MoEFCC only after a very detailed and deliberate procedure involving all stakeholders through a public hearing. ANIIDCO has also officially submitted an affidavit stating that the project does not fall in fragile coastal zone based on the findings of the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM). The same findings have identified that the proposed construction activities in the Galathea Bay will be in CRZ1B area and not in CRZ1A which is sensitive to construction activities.
To make up for the loss of forest cover due to tree felling, adequate compensatory afforestation has been planned, including in degraded urban areas in other states. The loss of biodiversity is being contemplated to be made up through new sanctuaries in other islands of the archipelago. Thus, it can be safely presumed that the Government is equally sensitive, if not more, to the sensitivities of habitats, environment and biodiversity.
Vulnerable tribe
Lastly, and most importantly, the safety of the vulnerable Shompen tribe is being ensured by provisioning physical barrier of geofencing between their habitat area and the closest project infrastructure (a thermal power station). In addition, the Government has announced renotification of a land package of 77 sq km as tribal area for the likely loss of existing 73 sq km tribal land.
The GNI project needs to be implemented with stringent environmental safeguards. In fact, the project has an opportunity to become a benchmark for future development initiatives by critically balancing and bridging the gap between sustainability and strategic gains. Hence, let’s find ways and means for its smooth execution so as to create an important strategic national asset. After all, the nation comes first, always and every time, isn’t it?
