More than 130 hectares of tribal reserve land in Great Nicobar Island will be diverted for the construction of a key arterial road as part of a vast infrastructure project, the Environment Ministry informed Parliament on Thursday. The proposed road, along with related works, will result in the clearing of over 12,428 trees and the redirection of more than 238 hectares of ecologically sensitive land.
Responding to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Environment Kirti Vardhan Singh said the alignment of the road will affect 149 hectares of protected forest, 10.6 hectares of deemed forest, as well as portions of government revenue and private land. Of the total, 130.4 hectares fall within notified tribal reserve areas.
The island, spanning 910 square kilometres, includes around 853 sq. km designated as a tribal reserve under the Andaman and Nicobar (Protection of Aboriginal Tribes) Regulation, 1956. These lands are legally safeguarded to protect the rights of indigenous communities such as the Nicobarese and the Shompens, a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) whose population is estimated to be under 300.
Tribal reserves are governed by laws that prevent sale, transfer or acquisition of land. Indigenous inhabitants hold complete rights over the territory for daily subsistence and cultural survival. Concerns have grown that the infrastructure drive may undermine these protections.
The road is a critical component of the ₹72,000-crore ‘Holistic Development of Great Nicobar’ plan, which envisages a transhipment port, an international airport, a township, and a power plant. The combined project footprint exceeds 160 sq. km, of which roughly 130 sq. km are pristine forests supporting complex biodiversity and traditional tribal livelihoods.
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When asked in Parliament whether the "free, prior and informed consent" of the communities had been obtained in accordance with the Forest Rights Act and related tribal protection regulations, the minister replied that land is a state subject and compliance with relevant laws rests with the Union Territory administration.
“As per the provisions of the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Rules, 2023, the state government or Union territory administration, as the case may be, shall issue order for diversion of forest land, only after fulfilment and compliance of the provisions of all other Acts and rules made thereunder, as applicable including ensuring settlement of rights under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006,” Singh noted.
He said compensatory afforestation and realisation of Net Present Value (NPV) are preconditions for forest diversion. Other mandatory safeguards include wildlife management, soil and moisture conservation, and catchment area treatment.
To monitor ecological and social impacts, the Centre has mandated the formation of three oversight bodies, including a dedicated committee for the welfare of the Shompens and Nicobarese, and two others to monitor pollution levels and biodiversity loss during the project’s execution.
Environmentalists have raised alarm over the scale and pace of development in a region recognised globally for its biodiversity. The diversion of forest land for such mega projects continues to attract scrutiny from tribal rights advocates and conservationists alike.
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