1. ONSET OF THE MONSOON

TAG: GS 1: GEOGRAPHY

THE CONTEXT: According to India Meteorological Department (IMD), the southwest monsoon has set in over the Kerala coast on 8 june, along with 2016 and 2019, is the most that the monsoon’s onset has been delayed in the last couple of decades the rains hit the Kerala coast on June 8 in those two earlier years as well. In 2022, the monsoon arrived over the Kerala coast on May 29, earlier than its expected date.

EXPLANATION:

What is meant by the “onset of the monsoon” over the Kerala coast?

• The onset of the monsoon over Kerala signals the beginning of the four-month (June-September) southwest monsoon season, during which India gets more than 70% of its annual rainfall.
• Onset does not mean the first rain of the season. That can start happening in certain places even before the onset is declared ‘onset’ is a technical expression with a specific definition and IMD announces the onset of the monsoon only after certain precisely defined and measurable parameters are met.

What are these conditions, which determine the onset of monsoon?

• According to the IMD, the onset of the monsoon happens when there is a significant transition in the large-scale atmospheric and ocean circulations in the Indo-Pacific region.
• The IMD essentially looks at the consistency of rainfall over a defined geography, the intensity of the rainfall, and the wind speed.
• RAINFALL: The onset is declared if at least 60% of 14 designated meteorological stations in Kerala and Lakshadweep record at least 2.5 mm of rain for two consecutive days at any time after May 10. The onset over Kerala is declared on the second day, as long as specific wind and temperature criteria are also fulfilled. The 14 enlisted stations are: (I) Minicoy, (ii) Amini, (iii) Thiruvananthapuram, (iv) Punalur, (v) Kollam, (vi) Alappuzha, (vii) Kottayam, (viii) Kochi, (ix) Thrissur, (x) Kozhikode, (xi) Thalassery, (xii) Kannur, (xiii) Kasaragod, and (xiv) Mangaluru.
• WIND FIELD: The IMD says that the depth of westerlies should be up to 600 hectopascal (1 hPa is equal to 1 millibar of pressure) in the area that is bound by the equator to 10ºN latitude, and from longitude 55ºE to 80ºE. The 10th parallel North passes through Kochi; and the area bound by the 55th and the 80th meridians East stretches from the middle of Iran to about Chennai. The zonal wind speed over the area bound by 5-10ºN latitude (Maldives to Kochi) and 70-80ºE longitude (Arabian Sea to Chennai) should be of the order of 15-20 knots (28-37 kph) at 925 hPa.
• HEAT: The INSAT-derived Outgoing Longwave Radiation (OLR) value which is a measure of the energy emitted to space by the Earth’s surface, oceans, and atmosphere — should be below 200 watt per sq m (wm2) in the area between the 5ºN and 10ºN latitudes, and 70ºE and 75ºE longitudes.

Does a delayed onset mean cascading delays across the country and for the rest of the season?

• A delay in the onset over Kerala can potentially delay the arrival of the monsoon in other parts of the country, especially in the southern states, which normally start getting rain within days of the monsoon reaching the Kerala coast. The monsoon covers the entire country by July 15.
• A delayed onset over Kerala does not automatically or invariably mean delays in the arrival of the monsoon over other parts of the country.
• The northward progression of the monsoon after it has hit the Kerala coast is not uniform it depends on local factors, including the creation of low-pressure areas. The monsoon may stall over certain places in certain years; or it may progress faster than usual.
• A delay or an early arrival has no bearing on the quality or amount of rainfall, or its regional distribution across the country.

2. MANUAL SCAVENGING

TAG: GS 1: SOCIETY

THE CONTEXT: Despite stating over the last few years that manual scavenging had been eliminated in the country, and that the only remaining threat was hazardous cleaning of sewers and septic tanks, the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has now said that only 508 districts out of the total 766 districts in the country have declared themselves manual-scavenging free.

EXPLANATION:

• Manual scavenging is the practice of removing human excreta by hand from sewers or septic tanks. India banned the practice under the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013 (PEMSR). The Act bans the use of any individual for manually cleaning, carrying, disposing of or otherwise handling in any manner, human excreta till its disposal.

Developments:

• According to the scheme for rehabilitation of manual scavengers, the 58,000 identified sewer workers have been given a one-time cash pay-out of ₹40,000 each. In addition, around 22,000 of them (less than half) have been connected to skills training programmes.
• However, the scheme for rehabilitation of manual scavengers has now been merged with the NAMASTE scheme for 100% mechanisation of sewer work. The FY 2023-24 Union Budget showed no allocation for the rehabilitation scheme and ₹100 crore allocation for the NAMASTE scheme.
• The guidelines for this scheme are yet to be finalized. The scheme will require over 4,800 urban local bodies across the country to identify and profile all septic tank/sewer workers in their respective areas, provide them occupational training and safety equipment, and sign them up for health insurance under the Ayushmaan Bharat scheme.
• To incentivise mechanisation, the scheme also provides for capital subsidies for sewer workers willing to mechanise their work and become empanelled with the concerned local body.

Laws to Prevent Manual Scavenging:

• The Employment of Manual Scavenging and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act, 1993: It is an act to provide for the prohibition of employment of manual scavengers as well as construction or continuance of dry latrines and for the regulation of construction and maintenance of water-seal latrines and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
• Provision in the constitution: Fraternity assuring the dignity of the individual has been enshrined in the Preamble to the Apart from that, article 47 of the Constitution, inter alia, provides that the State shall regard raising the standard of living of its people and the improvement of public health as among its primary duties.
• Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013 (MS Act, 2013): 2013 Act goes beyond prohibitions on dry latrines, and outlaws all manual cleaning of insanitary latrines, open drains, or pits. The 2013 Act further recognizes a constitutional obligation to correct the historical injustice and indignity suffered by manual scavenging communities by providing extensive rehabilitation assistance to them and to their families.
• The Self Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavenging, 2007 (SRMS): The objective of SRMS is to provide assistance to the identified manual scavengers and their dependants for their rehabilitation in alternative occupations. The scheme is being implemented at the national level through the NSKFDC.
• National Safai Karamcharis Finance and Development Corporation (NSKFDC): It is a wholly owned Govt. of India Undertaking under the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment (M/o SJ&E) was set up as a Company “Not for Profit” under Section 25 of the Companies Act, 1956.  NSKFDC is in operation since October, 1997, as an Apex Corporation for the all round socio-economic upliftment of the Safai Karamcharis, Scavengers and their dependants throughout India, through various loan and non-loan based schemes.
• National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE): Namaste is a Central Sector Scheme of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE) as a joint initiative of the MoSJE and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA). NAMASTE would also aim at providing access to alternative livelihoods support  and entitlements to reduce the vulnerabilities of sanitation workers and enable them to access self-employment and skilled wage employment opportunities and break the intergenerationality in sanitation work.

3. GROUND LEVEL OZONE

TAG: GS 3: ENVIRONMENT

THE CONTEXT: According to a new analysis by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), parts of the Delhi-NCR region witnessed ground-level ozone readings exceeding the national standards on 87 out of 92 days in the summer period between March and May. The worst affected parts in the area are New Delhi and South Delhi neighbourhoods.

EXPLANATION:

• Based on Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data on ozone levels from 58 stations across Delhi-NCR, the CSE analysis noted that although the spatial spread number of stations exceeding the standard across the core NCR of ground-level ozone has been lower this year, its duration has increased.
• Moreover, the region is seeing a rare phenomenon where ozone levels remain elevated hours after sunset ground-level ozone should ideally become negligible during the night. Another issue is that the pollutant, which once used to be prominent only during the summers, has become a yearlong problem.

What is ground-level ozone?

• Also known as tropospheric ozone, ground-level ozone is “a colourless and highly irritating gas that forms just above the Earth’s surface (up to 2 miles above the ground) as per Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC).
• It is not directly emitted into the air but rather produced when two primary pollutants react in sunlight and stagnant air. These two primary pollutants are nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Therefore, ground-level ozone is called a “secondary” pollutant.
• NOx and VOCs come from natural sources as well as human activities. About 95 per cent of NOx from human activity comes from the burning of coal, gasoline and oil in motor vehicles, homes, industries and power plants. VOCs from human activity come mainly from gasoline combustion and marketing, upstream oil and gas production, residential wood combustion, and from the evaporation of liquid fuels and solvents.
• Ground-level ozone is likely to breach safety standards on hot summer days in urban areas, but can also reach unhealthy levels during colder months.
• The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) mentioned on its website that the pollutant can also travel long distances due to wind and affect rural areas also.

What are the harmful effects of ground-level ozone?

• The CSE analysis said as ground-level ozone is a highly reactive gas, it has serious health consequences.
• Those with respiratory conditions, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and particularly children with premature lungs and older adults are at serious risk.
• This can inflame and damage airways, make lungs susceptible to infection, aggravate asthma, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis and increase the frequency of asthma attacks leading to increased hospitalization.
• The pollutant can also affect sensitive vegetation and ecosystems, including forests, parks and wildlife refuges. Significantly, it can harm sensitive vegetation during the growing season too.

What is the situation of ground-level ozone in India?

• In recent years, ground-level ozone has become a serious public health issue in India, as per the CSE analysis.
• It quoted the 2020 State of Global Air report, which stated that age-standardised rates of death attributable to ground-level ozone are among the highest in the country and the seasonal 8-hour daily maximum concentrations have recorded one of the highest increases in India between 2010 and 2017– about 17 per cent.

4. KAKHOVKA DAM

TAG: PRELIMS: PLACE IN NEWS

THE CONTEXT: Kakhovka Dam has been destroyed unleashing floodwaters across the war zone. Ukraine said Russia had destroyed it, while Russian officials gave conflicting accounts, some saying it was destroyed by Ukrainian shelling and others saying it collapsed due to earlier damage.

EXPLANATION:

• It was a huge Soviet-era dam on the Dnipro River that separates Russian and Ukrainian forces in southern Ukraine.
• The dam is 30 metres (98 feet) tall and 3.2 km (2 miles) long, was built in 1956 as part of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant.
• The reservoir also supplies water to the Crimean peninsula, which Russia claims to have annexed in 2014, and to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, which is also under Russian control.
• It holds an 18 km3 reservoir, a volume about equal to the Great Salt Lake in the U.S. state of Utah.

Possible impacts:

• With water levels surging higher, many thousands of people are likely to be affected.
• Ukraine’s southern Kherson region are at risk of flooding.
• There is a risk that water levels in the North Crimea Canal, which carries fresh water to the Crimean peninsula from the Dnipro river, could fall after rupture of the dam.
• Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, gets its cooling water from the reservoir. It is located on the southern side, now under Russian control. However, The U.N. nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency said there is no immediate nuclear safety risk.

5. NATIONAL INSTITUTIONAL RANKING FRAMEWORK (NIRF)

TAG: PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE

THE CONTEXT: The National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) announced the India Rankings 2023 of higher education institutions. The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Madras in Chennai remained the best educational institution in overall rankings for the fifth consecutive term. The Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru ranked as the best university in the country for eight years in a row.

EXPLANATION:

• This is the eighth consecutive edition of India Rankings of HEIs in India. “With the addition of new category (Innovation) subject domain  (Agriculture & Allied Sectors) and expansion of ‘Architecture’ to ‘Architecture and Planning’, the existing portfolio of India Rankings has increased to 13 categories and subject domains that have been ranked in India Rankings 2023.
• The top 100 in the overall category of higher education institutions consist of 44 centrally funded technical institutes, Central universities, 24 State universities, 13 deemed universities, 18 private universities, four agriculture and allied sector institutions, and three management institutions.

Findings:

• Miranda House, Delhi is ranked the best college.
• Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmedabad is the top management institute.
• National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Hyderabad is ranked number one for pharmaceutical studies.
• All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi is ranked the best medical college.
• Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai is the top dental college.
• National Law School of India University, Bengaluru is ranked the best law college in the country.
• IIT-M has also been ranked the best engineering college for the eighth consecutive year (from 2016 to 2023).
• IISc Bengaluru stood first in ‘Research Institutions’ category, too, for the third consecutive year.
• Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi took the top slot in ‘Agriculture and Allied Sectors’. IIT-Kanpur topped the ‘Innovation’ category.

National Institutional Ranking Framework:

• It is under the Union Ministry of Education(MoE).
• This framework outlines a methodology to rank institutions across the country. The methodology draws from the overall recommendations broad understanding arrived at by a Core Committee set up by MoE to identify the broad parameters for ranking various universities and institutions
• The five broad categories of parameters identified in the NIRF are “Teaching, Learning and Resources,” “Research and Professional Practices,” “Graduation Outcomes,” “Outreach and Inclusivity,” and “Perception”.
• Each of these five parameters have 2 to 5 sub-parameters. A total number of 16-18 sub-parameters are used for the ranking of HEIs in different categories and subject domains. Institutions are ranked based on total sum of marks assigned for each of these five broad groups of parameters.

Parameters and sub parameters:

1)Teaching, Learning & Resources (TLR)

• Student Strength including Doctoral Students (SS)
• Faculty-student ratio with emphasis on permanent faculty (FSR)
• Combined metric for Faculty with PhD (or equivalent) and Experience (FQE)
• Financial Resources and their Utilisation (FRU)

2)Research and Professional Practice (RP)

• Combined metric for Publications (PU)
• Combined metric for Quality of Publications (QP)
• IPR and Patents: Published and Granted (IPR)
• Footprint of Projects and Professional Practice (FPPP)

3)Graduation Outcomes (GO)

• Metric for University Examinations (GUE)
• Metric for Number of Ph.D. Students Graduated (GPHD)

4)Outreach and Inclusivity (OI)

• Percentage of Students from Other States/Countries (Region Diversity RD)
• Percentage of Women (Women Diversity WD)
• Economically and Socially Challenged Students (ESCS)
• Facilities for Physically Challenged Students (PCS)

5)Perception (PR) Ranking

• Peer Perception
• Academic Peers and Employers (PR)

Discipline-wise methodology for India Rankings

1. Overall
2. Universities
3. Engineering
4. Management
5. Pharmacy
6. Colleges
7. Architecture and Planning
8. Law
9. Medical
10. Dental
11. Research Institutions
12. Innovation
13. Agriculture & Allied Sectors

1. Break The Corruption Chain READ MORE
2. For grace, come to god with empty hands READ MORE
3. The voice of non-violence READ MORE

1. Where Are World’s Water Stresses? READ MORE
2. Return of El Nino: Extreme Weather Warnings Issued Worldwide READ MORE
3. Experts Explain | Demographic dividend and unemployment problems in India, China READ MORE

1. Experts Explain | Demographic dividend and unemployment problems in India, China READ MORE
2. Collective power: How trafficking survivors come together to hold the govt accountable READ MORE

1. Menaka Guruswamy writes: Why AI must be regulated READ MORE  
2. Gutting the Powers of an Elected Government: The ordinance shows the dismal view of the ruling party towards opposition-led state governments. READ MORE

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. Govt. to further clarify 20% tax collection at source on overseas spends before July 1 kick-off READ MORE  
2. Russia to deploy nuclear weapons in Belarus in July READ MORE
3. Piped potable water across India will avert 4,00,000 diarrhoea deaths, finds WHO READ MORE
4. Arunachal anti-poaching camp destroyed by mob READ MORE
5. Dramatic warming in Pacific Ocean, El Niño returns after 7 years, declares NOAA READ MORE
6. Why RBI has opted for status quo, how continued pause in rate hikes affects your loan EMIs READ MORE
7. What is the ‘onset’ of the monsoon, and why the delayed onset is not necessarily bad news READ MORE
8. What is Cyclone Biparjoy and how was it named? READ MORE
9. Many provinces experiencing highest emissions since 2003: Scientist monitoring Canadian wildfires READ MORE

 Main Exam

GS Paper- 1

1. Where Are World’s Water Stresses? READ MORE
2. Return of El Nino: Extreme Weather Warnings Issued Worldwide READ MORE
3. Experts Explain | Demographic dividend and unemployment problems in India, China READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Menaka Guruswamy writes: Why AI must be regulated READ MORE  
2. Gutting the Powers of an Elected Government: The ordinance shows the dismal view of the ruling party towards opposition-led state governments. READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

1. Collective power: How trafficking survivors come together to hold the govt accountable READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. A pragmatic approach, for better India-Nepal ties READ MORE
2. India’s approach to G20 presidency is extension of its domestic focus on progress and development READ MORE
3. To better India-Nepal ties, focus on implementation READ MORE
4. India is helping bring the world together READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. Unwavering focus: On the Monetary Policy Committee’s approach to policy READ MORE
2. The irony of Indian farming is the fear of a bumper crop and the apathy of a penny-pinching govt READ MORE
3. India’s long-term OPEC+ headache READ MORE
4. Sustainable development: Evolution of a kind READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Climate action plan and Indian cities READ MORE

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

1. Plug R&D gaps to make the most of US cooperation READ MORE

DISASTER MANAGEMENT

1. A Disaster That Was Waiting to Happen: Averting accidents on the overloaded railway networks is easier said than done. READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Break The Corruption Chain READ MORE
2. For grace, come to god with empty hands READ MORE
3. The voice of non-violence READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. India-Nepal ties have been viewed primarily from a political lens but time has came when the economic aspects of relation should be emphasized. Comment.
2. At a time when multiple crises of global magnitude affect us all, India’s approach of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam gives a way to the world to move forward. Discuss.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• Agriculture is our wisest pursuit, because it will contribute most to real wealth, good morals and happiness.
• The commission’s report on the sedition law is neither unbiased nor does it protect human rights.
• When communities themselves engage in building social accountability and demand their rights, policymakers and governments are compelled to listen. This has been observed for trafficking survivors as well.
• While the constitutional imagination of a federal polity with the balance of power in favour of the union was an institutional arrangement, what one sees in most of the cases of federal disputes is not a marker of institutional misarrangement but a case of party dominance.
• The central government ordinance on Delhi shows the dismal view of the ruling party towards opposition-led state governments.
• To successfully implement Agenda 2030, a fresh perspective is required, whereby the economic and social facets of the SDGs are conceptualised as integral components.
• Around the world, significant issues are negatively impacting water security. While the situation appears dire, cooperation initiatives show some signs of relief.
• In the true spirit of ‘Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam’, India is trying to bring about a world order which is just, equitable and mutually respectful to all.
• India’s vision for the world has always been that of ‘Vasudaiv Kutumbakam’. It has been a culture on the soil of India that considers everyone equal and wants the welfare of everyone.
• India-Nepal ties have, for the most part, been viewed primarily from a political lens. Prachanda’s visit has instead emphasised the economic aspects of the relationship, thus steering the relationship back to normal waters after a stormy interlude.
• The balance between technological gains and the harmful effect of the technology is a policy debate that will challenge governance all over the world.
• At a time when multiple crises of global magnitude affect us all, the importance of keeping Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’s sentiment alive has never been more critical.
• A corrupt government servant and a citizen have one thing in common – overwhelmed by greed they both bypass their conscience first before bypassing the laws of the land.
• We as a civil society should understand one thing very clearly there is no magic wand to root out corruption. However, what we need urgently is a dedicated strategy to rebuild the conscience of the country.

50-WORD TALK

• The government’s indication of regulatory guardrails against the misuse of AI holds promise. Global AI leaders have cautioned against the risk of it becoming superintelligent. India should work with world leaders, industry and help shape best practices. It’s also important to be vigilant to any possible erosion of personal liberties.
• India is facing a burgeoning epidemic of lifestyle diseases — an estimate that 101 million people are diabetic is only one such indicator. It’s high time we aggressively develop a culture of fitness. Diabetes is a very expensive disease for the middle class. We are paying for our unhealthy habits.
• A declaration that an order made by a Court of Law is void is normally a part of the judicial function. Legislature cannot declare that a decision given by the Court is not binding or is of no effect. It can change the basis on which a decision is given by the Court, but it cannot review and set at naught such a decision.

Things to Remember:

• For prelims-related news try to understand the context of the news and relate with its concepts so that it will be easier for you to answer (or eliminate) from given options.
• Whenever any international place will be in news, you should do map work (marking those areas in maps and exploring other geographical locations nearby including mountains, rivers, etc. same applies to the national places.)
• For economy-related news (banking, agriculture, etc.) you should focus on terms and how these are related to various economic aspects, for example, if inflation has been mentioned, try to relate with prevailing price rises, shortage of essential supplies, banking rates, etc.
• For main exam-related topics, you should focus on the various dimensions of the given topic, the most important topics which occur frequently and are important from the mains point of view will be covered in ED.
• Try to use the given content in your answer. Regular use of this content will bring more enrichment to your writing.

THE CONTEXT: Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has cleared the decks for a mega project at the cost of about ₹70,000 crores at the southern tip of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. ‘Holistic Development of Great Nicobar Islands in Andaman and Nicobar Islands’ project is being spearheaded by the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation under a vision plan conceived by the NITI Aayog, the Centre’s public policy think tank.This article analyses various aspects of this mega projects.

ABOUT THE PROJECT

The ‘Holistic Development of Great Nicobar Island’ project contains the 4 Sub-parts:

•  An international transhipment port of 14.2 mTEU cargo capacity at Galathea Bay along the island’s south-eastern coast,
• An international airport to support 4,000 passengers during peak hours,
• A 450 MVA gas and solar-based power plant, and
• An ecotourism and residential township of about 160 sq km.

BACKGROUND OF THE PROJECT

September 2020

During the COVID-19 pandemic, NITI Aayog issued the request for proposals for the “Preparation of Master Plan for Holistic Development of Great Nicobar Island.”

August 2021

AECOM, got the contract and released the pre-feasibility report in March 2021. It was immediately taken up for discussion by the Environment Appraisal Committee – Infrastructure 1 (EAC) which issued the Terms of Reference in May 2021. AECOM also submitted the Preliminary Engineering Design Report of the ITP to NITI Aayog in August 2021.

January 2021

In January 2021, well before the project proponent – Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation (ANIIDCO) – even submitted the proposal to the EAC, the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife denotified the Galathea Bay Wildlife Sanctuary to free it as the port site.

In early 2021, the Union Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) declared a “zero extent” eco-sensitive zone for the Galathea National Park, allowing forest land along its south and south-eastern boundary to be made available for the project.

March, 2022

VIMTA Lab published the final Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Report in March, 2022. The project was discussed by the EAC in its meetings in March and May and finally recommended for clearance in its meeting held on August 22-23, 2022.

October 27, 2022

 Ministry gave in-principle or Stage 1 Forest Clearance that will involve felling of approximately 8.5 lakh trees in the rich rain forests teeming with extraordinary flora and fauna species. This was done by amending the Rules in haste.

November 4, 2022

MoEFCC granted final Environmental Clearance for the plan.

With this, the decks were cleared to start construction of a port, an international airport, a power plant and a township spread over 166 square km of land.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PROJECT

• Strategic Location – Located on the International Trade Route, with existing transhipment terminals like Singapore, Klang and Colombo in proximity.
• Catchment – Potential to capture transhipment cargo from the similar international facilities in the sub-continent and Ports in the proximity including Indian Ports.
• It can attract Indian and regional transhipment traffic from the current hubs, save significant revenue loss, reduce logistics inefficiencies for Indian trade, reduce risks to the country’s export competitiveness and create an opportunity for India to become a large hub for Asia-Africa, Asia-US/Europe container traffic trade. Indian ports can save $200-220 Million each year on transhipment cargo.
• Developing Galathea Bay Transhipment Port will accrue significant benefits such as forex savings, foreign direct investment, increased economic activity at other Indian Ports, enhanced logistics infrastructure and thus, efficiencies, employment generation, and increased revenue share.
• Tourism promotion: Connectivityv will also help in promotion of the tourism in the Nicobar Islands
• Other projects include, Airport, Township & Power plant– aims to bridge the gaps in infrastructure and improve economic opportunity for rapid increase in size for all types of vessels, from feeders to the large inter-continental carriers.

THREATS DUE TO THE PROJECT

• Environmental Threat:
  • Deforestation: The project also involves the cutting of nearly a million trees in a largely pristine and untouched rainforest ecosystem. The Ministry’s forest conservation division granted clearance for the use of 130.75 sq km of pristine forest for the project, making it one of the largest single forest diversions in recent times.
  • Threat to species: National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) denotified the Galathea Bay Wildlife Sanctuary to free it as the site for a port. However, beaches on either side of Galathea River as it empties into the sea are among the most important nesting sites in the northern Indian Ocean for the giant leatherback turtle, the world’s largest marine turtle. India’s National Marine Turtle Action Plan, released in February 2021, names Galathea Bay in the list of “Important Marine Turtle Habitats in India”.
  • It is home to 648 species of flora and hosts 330 species of fauna including rare and endemic ones such as the Nicobar wild pig, Nicobar tree shrew, the Great Nicobar crested serpent eagle, Nicobar paradise flycatcher and the Nicobar megapode.
  • Threat to the protected sites: MoEFCC declared a zero- extent eco-sensitive zone for the Galathea and Campbell Bay National Parks, thus making pristine forest land along the central and south-eastern coast of the island available for the project. This will make the national parks vulnerable to the projects.
  • Impacting coral reefs & mangroves:
    • Coral reefs, already under threat from warming oceans, are of enormous ecological importance.
    • Environmentalists have also flagged the loss of mangroves on the island as a result of the development project.

• • Threat to indigenous people: Another key concern is regarding the rights and livelihoods of the two tribal communities for whom Great Nicobar has been home for thousands of years: the Nicobarese (about a 1,000 people) and the Shompen (about 200). The latter is classified as a particularly vulnerable tribal group (PVTG) and is a hunter-gatherer nomadic community critically dependent on the forests of the island for survival.
  • Urbanisation in the fragile area: The Great Nicobar Island has a population of about 8,000. Once completed, the project is expected to attract more than 3 lakh people. This urbanisation project will have huge ecological and environmental costs in an area known for its marine and terrestrial biodiversity.
  • Threat to protected land: The island, which is spread over 900 sq km, was declared a biosphere reserve in 1989 and included in the UNESCO’s Man and Biosphere Programme in 2013.
  • Disaster prone:
    • Great Nicobar is not far from Banda Aceh in Indonesia, which was the epicentre of the December 2004 earthquake and tsunami that caused unprecedented damage. Andaman and Nicobar Islands had experienced nearly 444 earthquakes in the past 10 years.
    • A 2005 Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI) Special Earthquake Report by a multi-disciplinary team from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur, recorded witness accounts of 8-metre-high tsunami waves hitting the Great Nicobar coast on December 26, 2004. “The lighthouse at Indira Point, the southernmost tip of the Great Nicobar Island, which was on high ground before the earthquake,” the report notes, “is now under water, indicating a land subsidence of about 3-4 m.” Thus the island is also vulnerable to the Tsunami.
  • Lack of transparency: A Right to Information (RTI) application filed in October seeking details of the clearance, including the proposed compensatory afforestation scheme, was rejected citing security, strategic, scientific, or economic interests of the state. Not a single document pertaining to the forest clearance has been made available on the Ministry’s Parivesh portal to date.

THE WAY FORWARD

• Ecological Importance should be taken into account in the development projects. These should be prepared for identified islands with principles of sustainability, people’s participation, eco-system preservation and determination of carrying capacity as the guiding principles.
• The interests of Shompen and other tribal populations residing in the areas must be given adequate weightage. We have to recognize that it is not only a geographical area of residence but also a cultural landscape for the tribal communities. The tribes must be treated as important stakeholders in the project, and their voices and interests must be adequately safeguarded.
• Endemic species should not be disturbed. If possible recovery plan of species should be developed for the disturbed species. Compensatory afforestation should be in place which has ecologically the same characteristics. Disaster resilient infrastructure should be buildup in the development plans.
• Since Malacca Strait is strategically significant and is close to Andaman and Nicobar Island, the prospects of militarization of the islands do not seem far-fetched. To counter China in India’s sphere of maritime interest, the militarization of islands is often advocated. However, a deep assessment of the advantages and disadvantages must be conducted before the militarisation of islands takes place.
• Transparency should be emphasised in every stage of the development project so that confidence building of the community can take place.
• The right will and intention of the government, with an emphasis on ecological and cultural sustainability, along with taking into account the interests of tribal population and islanders, will go a long way in creating sustainable, ecologically rich developed islands with a bustling economy and happy and prosperous people.
• There is a need for a comprehensive study of their biodiversity. New findings keep emerging regularly which indicates much work requires to be done. It will help in a comprehensive assessment of the various development project.

THE CONCLUSION: The debate of the development vs environment has taken a prime position in the current phase of Climate Change. In this era, it is need to go for sustainable development so that both development imperative and ecological preservation can be balanced.