Great Nicobar residents support land acquisition for Green Field International Airport; settlers make legitimate demands

Tarun Karthicka

Port Blair, June 30, 2024

The Indian government has unveiled ambitious plans to transform Great Nicobar Island through a series of megaprojects. Recently, the island’s strategic importance has attracted considerable media attention, highlighting the potential benefits that these developments could bring not only to Great Nicobar but also to the entire union territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the nation.

Although it has been met with criticism, supporters say it will usher in prosperity and development. The comprehensive development plan includes a transshipment port, Green Field International Airport, a power plant to support the infrastructure, an urban district to accommodate the influx of people, and various related infrastructures. However, these projects require significant land purchases.

The land required for the Green Field International Airport is to be acquired from former settlers in the revenue villages of Shastri Nagar and Gandhi Nagar. On June 28, 2024, two public hearings were held in these villages as part of the preparation of the Social Impact Assessment Report under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act 2013.

Officials from Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation Limited, Directorate of Social Welfare Andaman and Nicobar Administration, Delhi-based M/s Probe Social Development & Research Pvt. z o. o. and local government authorities were present at the meetings.

During the hearings, family members of the former soldiers’ settlers and other residents expressed their support for the land acquisition. However, they presented several demands to the government, insisting that they be met:

1. Substantial compensation for the acquired land.

2. Providing alternative land in Great Nicobar to all affected ex-soldier settlers.

3. Fair compensation for each coconut tree, emphasizing its economic importance.

4. Providing building plots to every family in Gandhi Nagar and Shastri Nagar and also financial support for construction.

5. OBC status for former settler soldiers from Great Nicobar, granted to their counterparts from other islands.

6. Employment of one member of each family of former soldiers in affected villages.

Family members of ex-soldier settlers and other residents also demanded that, in exchange for compensation, land taken after the tsunami be returned to the individuals and included in the calculation of compensation for the purchase of land for Green Field International Airport.

Amid nationwide opposition to the megaprojects, many outside the region, including self-proclaimed environmentalists, have launched campaigns against the development. Critics say the opposition often comes from people unfamiliar with the geography and local context of Great Nicobar.

Recent meetings have underscored the overwhelming support for the project from local former settlers, who see the development as a path forward, dismissing opposition from outside voices as irrelevant to their realities on the ground.