Great Nicobar Project: a 14.2 million TEU transshipment port at Galathea Bay and a township on 16,610 hectares

Background

A Press Information Bureau backgrounder on the Great Nicobar Project describes it as port-led development on Great Nicobar Island in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, meant to strengthen India's position in the Indian Ocean region. The site lies about 40 nautical miles from the East-West shipping route and has natural water depth of over 20 metres, which is why the plan is to cut India's dependence on foreign transshipment hubs such as Colombo, Singapore and Klang. The four components are a container transshipment terminal at Galathea Bay with a capacity of 14.2 million TEU, a greenfield international airport, a 450 MVA gas and solar power plant and a township on 16,610 hectares. The work is phased from 2025 to 2047 over 166.10 sq km. Environmental clearance was granted under the EIA Notification, 2006 with 42 conditions, the project diverts 1.82 per cent of the islands' forest cover and compensatory afforestation of 97.30 sq km is planned in Haryana. The backgrounder puts the Shompen at about 237 people and the Nicobarese at about 1,094, and says an overarching committee chaired by the Chief Secretary of the Administration oversees implementation.