Plea before NGT seeks full disclosure of panel report on Great Nicobar Project
New Delhi/ Sri Vijaypuram (Port Blair): A new interlocutory application filed before the National Green Tribunal by activist Ashish Kothari has sought complete disclosure of the high-powered committee (HPC) report that reviewed alleged gaps in the clearances granted to the Rs 81,000-crore Great Nicobar Island mega-infrastructure project. The application also challenges the Centre’s decision to keep the report confidential.
In a report published by The Indian Express, Kothari has argued that the government’s claim of “strategic and privileged information” is being used to avoid judicial scrutiny, calling it contrary to facts. The plea states that the Environment Ministry’s refusal to share the report is “illegal and violative of principles of natural justice”, especially since the document directly concerns the clearances he has already challenged.
The application has been filed in ongoing proceedings before a six-member NGT bench headed by Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava. The Bench is hearing two petitions by Kothari, one alleging violations of the Island Coastal Regulation Zone 2019 notification and another seeking a reconsideration of the environmental clearance granted to the project.
The HPC was constituted in April 2023 on the Tribunal’s directions to address “unanswered deficiencies” related to the project’s environmental impact. The committee was headed by former Environment Ministry Secretary Leena Nandan. The Ministry has earlier told the NGT that no part of the proposed trans-shipment port falls in a no-go development zone under the island’s coastal regulation framework, a point Kothari’s counsel has disputed.
The Great Nicobar project includes a trans-shipment port, an airfield for both civil and military use, a township, and a 450 MVA power plant based on gas and solar energy. The plan spans 166 sq km and requires diversion of 130 sq km of forest land.
According to an affidavit filed by the Environment Ministry on July 5, the HPC report was submitted to the Tribunal in a sealed envelope. A sealed copy was again circulated to the Bench on October 30 during the previous hearing.
In the new application, Kothari has urged the Tribunal not to rely on the findings of the sealed report, arguing that any decision based on undisclosed material would compromise natural justice and the right to a fair hearing. The plea notes that over 40 documents related to the project’s clearance process, including the environmental impact assessment and masterplan, are already public, and questions why the HPC’s review alone has been classified as confidential.
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MP: Protest over Dhoudan dam continues for eighth day, work stalled
Chhatarpur (MP) (PTI): Tribals displaced due to the proposed Dhoudan dam under the ambitious Ken-Betwa river-linking project in Madhya Pradesh continued their protest for the eighth consecutive day on Sunday, halting work at the site.
Villagers affected by the project in Panna district, including Majhgawan and Runj, remained stationed at the construction site pressing for their demands.
Protesters have been demanding a compensation package of Rs 12.5 lakh for displaced families, similar to what they claim has been sought for those affected by other dams in the region.
Panna Additional Collector Alok Marko and SDM Satish Nagvanshi reached the protest site during the day and held detailed discussions with the agitators.
The officials said that the compensation had been disbursed in accordance with government guidelines and the land acquisition law.
"In the Runj project, 99 per cent payment has been completed, while more than 90 per cent compensation has been paid in villages affected by the Ken-Betwa project, including Kateri, Baleta, Gadra and Koni. If any name has been left out, we are ready to conduct a fresh survey based on documents," Nagvanshi said.
The administration had taken along a representative of the displaced persons to provide photocopies of records, he said.
Protesters are demanding that the earlier compensation package of Rs 5 lakh for Majhgawan and Vishramganj dams be increased to Rs 12.5 lakh, at par with that of the Dhodan dam displaced persons. The administration, however, has termed the demand "policy-wise impossible", as the relevant awards had been passed years ago.
Social activist Amit Bhatnagar, who is leading the agitation, rejected the administration's claims, alleging that only 60 per cent of the affected people have received compensation and there are major discrepancies.
"If gram sabhas and procedures have been conducted constitutionally, we will end the protest, but we will not part with even an inch of land through unconstitutional means," he said.
As the protest site falls within the core area of the Panna Tiger Reserve, the administration has tightened security arrangements.
Collector Parth Jaiswal appealed to the protesters to maintain law and order in the restricted zone of the tiger reserve and resolve the issue through dialogue.
He added that a survey is underway, and no eligible person will be deprived of compensation.
A team of doctors arrived at the site to examine the protesters, who were camping there with essential supplies, but returned without conducting check-ups.
