The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has cleared the ₹81,000-crore Great Nicobar mega infrastructure project, stating that it found “no good ground” to interfere in the environmental clearance and that “adequate safeguards” were in place.

A six-member bench headed by Justice Prakash Shrivastava cited the project’s strategic importance while emphasising the need for a “balanced approach” in applying provisions of the Island Coastal Regulation Zone (ICRZ) Notification, 2019. The tribunal relied on findings of a high-powered committee led by former Environment Secretary Leena Nandan, which concluded that no part of the project fell within prohibited coastal areas.

While disposing of petitions alleging ecological damage and violations of coastal regulations, the NGT directed the government to strictly comply with environmental safeguards, including protection of endangered species, prevention of shoreline erosion, and measures for coral translocation and regeneration.

#ngt #andaman #thepresspadnews #environment