Stop the Great Nicobar project
Stop the Great Nicobar project
The Issue
The Great Nicobar Project, a colossal infrastructure endeavor proposed in India's Great Nicobar Island, has sparked significant controversy due to its potential environmental, social, and economic impacts. This project aims to create new port infrastructure, an airport, a transshipment terminal, and a greenfield township, which seem promising in terms of growth and development but at a staggering environmental cost.
Great Nicobar Island is one of the last intact forest habitats and biodiversity hotspots in India. The project threatens the existence of approximately 650 species of flora and fauna, many of which are endangered. For example, the Nicobar megapode, an endemic bird species, and the indigenous Shompens tribe face the risk of losing their natural homes due to this unwarranted development. Furthermore, this venture endangers around 65% of the island's forests, which serve as a crucial carbon sink mitigating the impacts of climate change.
The environmental assessment for the project was fast-tracked, raising concerns about compliance with ecological safeguards and transparency. Restoration and rehabilitation plans for displaced wildlife and indigenous communities are vague and lack substantive backing. Ignoring these adverse impacts for short-term infrastructural gains poses long-term risks not only to the environment but also to the indigenous population that has called Great Nicobar home for centuries.
We urge the Indian government, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and associated stakeholders to re-evaluate this project with a holistic approach by conducting a comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). Additionally, exploring sustainable development alternatives that prioritize ecological preservation over rapid industrialization is imperative.
Please join this cause to protect one of our planet's most precious ecological treasures by signing this petition. Your support can compel authorities to reconsider, ensuring growth and development don't come at the expense of the environment or indigenous people's rights.
Great Nicobar Island is one of the last intact forest habitats and biodiversity hotspots in India. The project threatens the existence of approximately 650 species of flora and fauna, many of which are endangered. For example, the Nicobar megapode, an endemic bird species, and the indigenous Shompens tribe face the risk of losing their natural homes due to this unwarranted development. Furthermore, this venture endangers around 65% of the island's forests, which serve as a crucial carbon sink mitigating the impacts of climate change.
The environmental assessment for the project was fast-tracked, raising concerns about compliance with ecological safeguards and transparency. Restoration and rehabilitation plans for displaced wildlife and indigenous communities are vague and lack substantive backing. Ignoring these adverse impacts for short-term infrastructural gains poses long-term risks not only to the environment but also to the indigenous population that has called Great Nicobar home for centuries.
We urge the Indian government, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and associated stakeholders to re-evaluate this project with a holistic approach by conducting a comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). Additionally, exploring sustainable development alternatives that prioritize ecological preservation over rapid industrialization is imperative.
Please join this cause to protect one of our planet's most precious ecological treasures by signing this petition. Your support can compel authorities to reconsider, ensuring growth and development don't come at the expense of the environment or indigenous people's rights.
Yash Yashnoorjit singhPetition Starter
9
The Issue
The Great Nicobar Project, a colossal infrastructure endeavor proposed in India's Great Nicobar Island, has sparked significant controversy due to its potential environmental, social, and economic impacts. This project aims to create new port infrastructure, an airport, a transshipment terminal, and a greenfield township, which seem promising in terms of growth and development but at a staggering environmental cost.
Great Nicobar Island is one of the last intact forest habitats and biodiversity hotspots in India. The project threatens the existence of approximately 650 species of flora and fauna, many of which are endangered. For example, the Nicobar megapode, an endemic bird species, and the indigenous Shompens tribe face the risk of losing their natural homes due to this unwarranted development. Furthermore, this venture endangers around 65% of the island's forests, which serve as a crucial carbon sink mitigating the impacts of climate change.
The environmental assessment for the project was fast-tracked, raising concerns about compliance with ecological safeguards and transparency. Restoration and rehabilitation plans for displaced wildlife and indigenous communities are vague and lack substantive backing. Ignoring these adverse impacts for short-term infrastructural gains poses long-term risks not only to the environment but also to the indigenous population that has called Great Nicobar home for centuries.
We urge the Indian government, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and associated stakeholders to re-evaluate this project with a holistic approach by conducting a comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). Additionally, exploring sustainable development alternatives that prioritize ecological preservation over rapid industrialization is imperative.
Please join this cause to protect one of our planet's most precious ecological treasures by signing this petition. Your support can compel authorities to reconsider, ensuring growth and development don't come at the expense of the environment or indigenous people's rights.
Great Nicobar Island is one of the last intact forest habitats and biodiversity hotspots in India. The project threatens the existence of approximately 650 species of flora and fauna, many of which are endangered. For example, the Nicobar megapode, an endemic bird species, and the indigenous Shompens tribe face the risk of losing their natural homes due to this unwarranted development. Furthermore, this venture endangers around 65% of the island's forests, which serve as a crucial carbon sink mitigating the impacts of climate change.
The environmental assessment for the project was fast-tracked, raising concerns about compliance with ecological safeguards and transparency. Restoration and rehabilitation plans for displaced wildlife and indigenous communities are vague and lack substantive backing. Ignoring these adverse impacts for short-term infrastructural gains poses long-term risks not only to the environment but also to the indigenous population that has called Great Nicobar home for centuries.
We urge the Indian government, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and associated stakeholders to re-evaluate this project with a holistic approach by conducting a comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). Additionally, exploring sustainable development alternatives that prioritize ecological preservation over rapid industrialization is imperative.
Please join this cause to protect one of our planet's most precious ecological treasures by signing this petition. Your support can compel authorities to reconsider, ensuring growth and development don't come at the expense of the environment or indigenous people's rights.
Yash Yashnoorjit singhPetition Starter
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Petition created on 10 May 2026