• The Andaman–Nicobar region is extremely prone to natural disasters such as earthquakes because of its geological location.
  • According to data from the United States Geological Survey (USGS), 442 earthquakes occurred with a magnitude of 4.0 to 6.6 within a 150 km radius from the centre of the island between 2010 and 2020, resulting in an average rate of more than 42 earthquakes/year.
  • More than 80 per cent of the earthquakes originate within 100 km in the eastern margin in the Great Nicobar region, which might damage any infrastructure development significantly.
  • It is necessary to systemically re-evaluate the disaster risks involved in infrastructure development plans proposed by NITI Aayog for the Great Nicobar Island.