Important for
Prelims: Geography and Environment
Mains: General Studies Paper I
Great Nicobar Island Project
Why in news ?
⦁ The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a stay on the Great Nicobar Island project
⦁ The project includes an international container transshipment terminal, a greenfield international airport, township development, and a 450 MVA gas and solar based power plant over an extent of 16,610 hectares in the island
Reasons
- Impact on Biodiversity
- Impact on Tree Cover and Mangroves
- Lack of Adequate Assessment
- Encroachment in Tribal Space(Nicobarese and Shompens)
National Green Tribunal
- Established on 18th October 2010 under the NGT Act of 2010 as a specialized body for handling any environmental disputes that involve multi-disciplinary issues.
- The National Green Tribunal (NGT) comprises three major bodies namely:
- The Chairperson
- The Judicial Members, and
- The Expert Members
- There should be a minimum of 10 and a maximum of 20 fulltime Judicial as well as Expert members in the NGT.
- These members are required to hold the office for five years and are not eligible for reappointment
About Great Nicobar island
- Great Nicobar is the southernmost island of the Nicobar Islands
- The Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve harbours a wide spectrum of ecosystems comprising tropical wet evergreen forests, mountain ranges reaching a height of 642 m (Mt. Thullier) above sea level, and coastal plains.
- The Mongoloid Shompen Tribe, about 200 in number, live in the forests of the biosphere reserve particularly along the rivers and streams.
- Another Mongoloid Tribe, Nicobarese, about 300 in number, used to live in settlements along the west coast.
Practice Questions for Prelims
Which channel separates Andaman from Nicobar Islands?
a) 10 degree channel
b) 8 degree channel
c) Duncan Passage
d) 9 degree channel
Ans. a)
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