Great Nicobar project: Jairam Ramesh urges Rajnath Singh to reconsider INZ Baaz expansion

What Happened

• A letter was sent to the Union Defence Ministry urging reconsideration of the decision not to expand the existing runway at INS Baaz — India's southernmost naval air station at Campbell Bay, Great Nicobar Island — from its current 4,500 feet to the planned 10,000 feet.
• The government instead approved a new greenfield civilian-cum-military airport at Galathea Bay as part of the Rs 72,000–81,000 crore Great Nicobar Island Development Project.
• The proposed greenfield airport would require cutting two forest-covered hills measuring up to 115 metres in height and would affect approximately 355 acres of protected and deemed forest land within the traditional territory of the Shompen — a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG).
• The argument advanced is that expanding the INS Baaz runway at Campbell Bay would be a less ecologically destructive alternative to constructing an entirely new airport at Galathea Bay.
• The Great Nicobar Development Project has received Environmental Clearance under the EIA Notification, 2006 and was upheld by the National Green Tribunal in February 2026, though ecological concerns remain unresolved.

Static Topic Bridges

Great Nicobar Island Development Project — Components and Strategic Rationale

The Great Nicobar Island Development Project is a Rs 72,000–81,000 crore infrastructure initiative conceived under the Holistic Development of Islands programme to transform India's southernmost island into a strategic hub. Its four core components are: (1) an International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICTT) with a capacity of 14.2 million TEUs at Galathea Bay, (2) a greenfield international airport (civilian-cum-military), (3) a 450 MVA gas-solar hybrid power plant, and (4) a planned township. Strategically, the island overlooks the Six Degree Channel — the waterway between Great Nicobar and the Indonesian island of Sumatra — and the eastern approach to the Strait of Malacca, through which approximately 30% of global trade passes.

INS Baaz — India's Southernmost Naval Air Station

INS Baaz is a naval air station of the Indian Navy, operating under the tri-services Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) — India's only tri-services theatre command, established in 2001. Located near Campbell Bay on Great Nicobar Island, INS Baaz is the southernmost air station of the Indian Armed Forces. It was commissioned on 31 July 2012. The station's runway originally measured 3,500 feet, was progressively expanded, and currently stands at approximately 4,500 feet — capable of operating Dornier 228 maritime reconnaissance aircraft and the C-130J Super Hercules transport aircraft. The planned extension to 10,000 feet would enable operations by heavy maritime patrol aircraft such as the P-8I Poseidon.

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Process — EIA Notification 2006

The Environmental Impact Assessment Notification, 2006 (issued under the Environment Protection Act, 1986) is the primary regulatory instrument for evaluating environmental impacts of development projects before clearance. Projects are categorised as A (national-level appraisal by Expert Appraisal Committee / EAC) or B (state-level appraisal by State Expert Appraisal Committee / SEAC). The EIA process involves four stages: screening, scoping, public consultation (including public hearing), and appraisal. Category A projects — which include large infrastructure, ports, airports, and projects in sensitive ecological zones — are appraised by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).

Shompen — Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG)

The Shompen are the indigenous inhabitants of the interior rainforests of Great Nicobar Island. With an estimated population of around 300 individuals, they are one of India's smallest and most isolated tribal communities, classified as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG). The PVTG category was introduced in 1975 under the recommendations of the Dhebar Commission to identify tribal groups with declining or stagnant populations, pre-agricultural economies, and geographic isolation. The Ministry of Tribal Affairs administers the scheme. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Protection of Aboriginal Tribes) Regulation, 1956 establishes tribal reserves on Great Nicobar and restricts unauthorised entry.

Key Facts & Data

• Great Nicobar project cost: Rs 72,000–81,000 crore; transshipment terminal capacity: 14.2 million TEUs
• INS Baaz commissioned: 31 July 2012; current runway: ~4,500 feet; planned extension: 10,000 feet
• Greenfield airport sub-project cost: Rs 13,000 crore; cleared June 2026
• Forest land affected by proposed airport: ~355 acres of protected and deemed forest
• Hills to be cut for airport site: 2 hills, up to 115 metres in height
• Shompen population: ~300 individuals; PVTG since 1975–76
• Number of PVTGs in India: 75 groups across 18 states and Union Territories
• NGT upheld Environmental Clearance for the Great Nicobar project: February 2026
• Galathea Bay Wildlife Sanctuary denotified in 2021 to facilitate port construction
• Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC): established 2001; India's only tri-services theatre command