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Started 1 week ago · Updated 1 week ago

India Plans $9 Billion Megaport on Great Nicobar Island Amid Environmental and Indigenous Concerns

Photo · english.himalayatimes.com.np

India is proceeding with a $9 billion megaport, airport, and city project on Great Nicobar Island, aiming to rival China's regional investments and enhance its naval presence in Southeast Asia. Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated the project is of "strategic, defence and national importance" for maritime and air connectivity. However, the development faces opposition from environmentalists and Indigenous groups, with Survival International warning of potential "genocide in the name of ‘mega-development'" for the island's inhabitants.

• The project involves clearing nearly a fifth of the island's biologically under-explored forest, impacting unique species and Indigenous groups like the Nicobarese and Shompen.
• Authorities promise economic transformation and plan to build roads, bridges, and docks to facilitate port activity, tourism, and expanded military installations.
• The megaport is strategically located near the Strait of Malacca, a crucial global trade route through which up to 30 percent of world trade passes.
• Plans include upgraded or new runways for both military and civilian use, enhancing India's naval proximity to Southeast Asia.
• The government insists it has met all environmental requirements for the project.