Ecological Risks of Great Nicobar Mega Project: Carbon Loss and Biodiversity

The Indian government's development plans for Great Nicobar Island threaten one of South Asia's last intact tropical rainforests. The project involves clearing nearly one million trees to build a port, airport, and power plant, risking the release of massive carbon reservoirs and the destruction of irreplaceable biodiversity. Critics argue that the proposed compensatory planting in the Aravallis is ecologically invalid, as dry forests cannot replace the carbon storage or hydrological functions of a tropical rainforest. The project also poses a severe threat to indigenous communities and rare species like the Nicobar megapode and leatherback sea turtles.