NGT orders review of green nod for Great Nicobar Port amid public uproar

Panel to study 'unanswered deficiencies', stays further development for 2 months

Dhruvaksh Saha Nitin Kumar New Delhi

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The committee will meet within two weeks and is expected to prepare its report within two months

4 min read Last Updated : Apr 07 2023 | 10:09 PM IST

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Amid the public uproar against the Centre’s mega infrastructure project Great Nicobar Port, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has put a two-month stay on any further work in the environmental clearance (EC) granted to the project. The Rs 72,000 crore project would be on hold till a NGT appointed committee scrutinises the green approval granted by the Centre.

The environmental tribunal has formed a high-powered committee to look into “unanswered deficiencies” in the EC granted for the international transhipment terminal, such as potentially inadequate planning for protection of flora and fauna and construction activity in prohibited areas.

“These aspects may call for revisiting the EC by a High-Powered Committee (HPC) which we propose to constitute. The same will be headed by Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), GoI. Other members will be Chief Secretary, Andaman & Nicobar, Zoological S