Great Nicobar Project: Biodiversity or Development?

The Great Nicobar Island faces an ₹82,000 crore mega infrastructure development project that threatens to irreversibly damage its fragile biodiversity and indigenous cultures. Pankaj Sekhsaria's book, 'Island on Edge: The Great Nicobar Crisis,' published in 2026, meticulously details the multifaceted dangers of this initiative, which includes clearing 130 sq. km of tropical forest for an airport, transshipment terminal, and new township.

This situation is juxtaposed with a growing global awareness of climate change and the urgent need for nature-based solutions. Environmentalist Peepal Baba, in his upcoming memoir 'Ghosts on Peepal Trees,' emphasizes individual and community action, including tree planting and waste composting. His work, spanning five decades and involving 26 million trees planted across India, highlights the importance of ecological responsibility and warns against over-reliance on technological fixes.

Further insights into India's forests are offered in 'India's Forests: Revisiting Nature and History,' co-edited by Mahesh Rangarajan and Arupjyoti Saikia. This collection reappraises forests as contested spaces shaped by power, culture, and society, advocating for a balance between use and conservation. It underscores that afforestation is a matter of survival, requiring collective participation to heal the soil and secure the future.