NEW DELHI, October 8 — The Supreme Court of India on Thursday dismissed a batch of environmental appeals contesting the statutory Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) and environmental clearances accorded to the ₹72,000 crore holistic infrastructure development on Great Nicobar Island, validating the strategic project under comprehensive ecological containment protocols.
An apex division bench affirmed the determination of the National Green Tribunal (NGT), concluding that the project—anchored by an International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICTT) at Galathea Bay, a joint military-civilian greenfield international airport, a township, and a power plant—is essential to national maritime sovereignty and Indo-Pacific security architectures given its geographic proximity to the Malacca Strait.
The court directed the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation (ANIIDCO) to enforce all recommendations formulated by the High-Powered Expert Committee. These include establishing a ₹500 crore biological conservation endowment to monitor Leatherback Sea Turtle nesting habitats and Nicobar Megapode nesting mounds, prohibiting non-scientific intrusions into the pristine tribal reserves of the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) Shompen, and translocating affected coral colonies.
The strategic geography of the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago, Ten Degree Channel and Six Degree Channel coordinates, the Indian Ocean sea lines of communication (SLOCs), and ecological balancing under the Environment (Protection) Act 1986 are paramount topics across UPSC Civil Services (GS-I: Geography & GS-III: Maritime Security). Candidates should note that Great Nicobar Island constitutes the southernmost landmass of India, housing 'Indira Point' (6°45' N latitude), positioned approximately 90 nautical miles northwest of Sumatra, Indonesia.