• Great Nicobar Island is the last of the 572 islands of the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago.
  • The island has unique flora and fauna, including the Nicobar long-tailed macaque, and is part of UNESCO’s World Network of Biosphere Reserves.
  • But the NITI Aayog has envisioned a massive construction project on the island that will include an international container transshipment terminal, an international airport, a power plant, and a township.
  • Large swathes of land and coastal area were stripped of their protective status last year for the project.
  • If it goes ahead in its current form, it can only result in catastrophic consequences.