Great Nicobar project proponent to set up panel for tribal welfare: Government
- In Reports
- 10:09 PM, Aug 01, 2024
- Myind Staff
On Thursday, the government informed Parliament that the ₹72,000-crore Great Nicobar project will not disturb the Shompen tribe and their habitations. The project proponent is required to establish a monitoring committee to ensure the welfare of the Shompen and Nicobarese people.
The government also announced that geo-fencing will be implemented and surveillance towers will be installed to ensure the protection and safety of the tribal settlements.
The project, being implemented by the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation, includes a transshipment port, an airport, a power plant, and a greenfield township.
In response to a question by Trinamool Congress MP Saket Gokhale, Union Minister of State for Environment Kirti Vardhan Singh said, "The project activities envisage no disturbance to Shompen tribe and their habitations and for the protection and safety of the tribal settlements, there is provision for geo-fencing cum surveillance towers."
"In addition, the project proponent is mandated to constitute a monitoring committee for ensuring the welfare and other issues related to Shompen and Nicobarese," the minister said.
In March last year, former Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Bishweshwar Tudu informed Parliament that a total of 7.114 sq km of tribal reserve area would be utilised for the project. He stated that the utilisation of this tribal reserve area would consider the interests of the local tribespeople living there, particularly the Shompen tribe, classified as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group.
Last week, the Centre informed the Rajya Sabha that it had granted in principle/stage-1 approval for the diversion of 130.75 sq km of forest land for sustainable development in Great Nicobar Island on October 27, 2022.
"Compensatory afforestation is carried out in lieu of diverted forest land. Further, more than 50 per cent i.e. 65.99 sq km of the area proposed for diversion is reserved for green development where no tree felling is envisaged. It is expected that about 15 per cent of the development area would continue to remain as green and open spaces and therefore the number of trees likely to be affected is going to be less than 9.64 lakhs," Singh had said.
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