The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are  a biodiversity hotspot and home to several indigenous tribes, and are also extremely important to India's trade and security in the emerging complex geopolitical world. India's poor and middle class, including also the tribals, depend on overall economic development of the country in a secure environment, which they have been denied over centuries of colonial rule and then multiple decades of independence, due to lack of resolution of development plans.

The government had proposed project to develop the Great Nicobar port, and it went through several years of deliberations including ecological.  However, several groups, some well meaning, and other having aims to hold back India's progress, are still citing all the concerns and continuing the objections, constantly refuting arguments and broad directions covered in the extensive reports  are now the subject of a controversial project. 

They continue to argue about threats to the ecosystem and cultural heritage. These have been considered extensively by regulatory bodies, with consultations with multiple ecology groups.

However, under the guise of raising ecological and tribal concerns, the opposing groups have continued to claim that there is intense public opposition, and continued to peddle their arguments in India. In addition, they have also peddled these arguments in world forums, to a mostly ill informed audience. which have spurred intense public debate. This external audience, with no interest in believing in Indian institutional structures, use bogey of controversy and concern, cite so called internals norms which their own countries have never respected. Many of these individuals, bodies and forums are funded by agencies who do not have India's public interest at heart.

The project aims to transform these islands into a commercial hub.  The proposed changes involve deforestation, land acquisition, and potential displacement of local communities only to the extent of 10% of land. Key points in development are as under:

Township & Core Infrastructure: The project envisions a modern township spanning about 149 sq km (16,610 hectares) to include residential, commercial, and tourism infrastructure.

Tribal Reserve Overlap: Out of the 166.10 sq km, roughly 84.10 sq km overlaps with existing Shompen and Nicobarese tribal reserves. However, to ensure indigenous protection, 76.98 sq km is being re-notified as a tribal reserve.

Ecological Mitigation: The project requires the diversion of approximately 130 sq km of primary forest land. To mitigate this impact, 65.99 sq km within the development zone will be retained as a "green area" with strict no-tree-felling conditions

The extensive reports are available for reference at https://www.pib.gov.in/PressNoteDetails.aspx?id=158406&NoteId=158406&ModuleId=3&reg=3&lang=2

These reports have been arrived at by several government agencies in consultation with many non government organizations. So one cannot simply counter them by facile arguments of lack of time or concern etc.

The opposing groups constantly run down any economic and livelihood benefits by raising the bogey of risk to the environment and indigenous cultures, without ever mentioning the steps being planned. The external groups of course use the usual lack of belief in Indian institutions, as they also peddle superiority of western ones as the only moral compass and judge, in spite of their atrocious records on multiple fronts in their own countries and abroad.

In this context, it is imperative to bring common sense and broader public usefulness to the forefront of the discourse on this project. Decisions arrived at after extensive deliberations, should not be further delayed because of extreme positions taken by some groups. Delaying decisions is not in the interest of people of India, including those from Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

We urge Indian citizens to read through extensive analysis, hearings, reports, and request them to sign this petition. The petition calls upon the government to implement the projects envisioned without delay , and at the same time implement the ecological and people centric measures with full care, involving local organizations which are ready to work for the ecology and public welfare. Delays costs thousands of crores of public money and delay benefits to our people.