Rs 75,000-Crore Great Nicobar Island Mega Project Draft Under Scrutiny by Officials

The preliminary master plan draft for the ambitious Rs 75,000-crore Great Nicobar Island (GNI) Township project is under assessment by Prime Minister's Principal Secretary, Pramod Kumar Mishra, along with other key officials.

The comprehensive project aims to establish an international container transhipment terminal, an airport, a power plant, and a green-field township at Campbell Bay, located in the southernmost and most secluded part of India, approximately 80 nautical miles from Ronodo Island in Indonesia's northernmost Sabang district.

The project is being spearheaded by the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation (ANIIDCO), under a vision plan conceived by the NITI Aayog.

The idea behind the development of GNI is based on leveraging the locational advantage of being on the international sea route and develop GNI as a sustainable, green, global destination for business, trade, and leisure.

"The holistic development of various visionary mega projects with investments exceeding Rs 75,000 crore under Maritime India Vision 2030, including the international container transhipment terminal (ICTT), greenfield airport, and power plant nearing the finalisation of the preparatory phase, will serve as a significant catalyst in developing Andaman and Nicobar Islands as an economic hub," stated the Lt. Governor's office, reports Economic Times.

The island, mostly covered by forests, has not witnessed large-scale human activity so far.

The project is to be implemented in phases over the next 30 years.

The pre-feasibility report indicated that the first phase would extend to 2036 (from 2021), and the second phase would stretch from 2037 to 2051, but the container terminal would become operational around 2027-28.