Nicobarese oppose proposal for three wildlife sanctuaries

While the Calcutta High Court is set to hear objections against the Centre’s Greater Nicobar Island (GNI) project over alleged violations of the Forest Rights Act while seeking consent from local people, the tribal council in Nicobar has flagged further violations of the law in the government’s notification of three wildlife sanctuaries in Lesser Nicobar, Menchal and Meroe islands.

While the Union government acknowledged that the Rs 92,000-crore development project to build an international container transshipment port, an airport and a green-field tourist town on Greater Nicobar Island would impact coral colonies and nesting habitats of leatherback turtle and megapod, it notified three protected areas in October 2022 on Lesser Nicobar Island, Meroe Island and parts of Menchal Island to protect these species. North of GNP.

However, the Lesser and Greater Nicobar Tribal Council has written to the Union government and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands administration since August 2022, stating that the process of notifying these sacred sites has been initiated without notification to the members of the community who have lived and protected these islands for generations.

The tribal council reiterated in a letter to the Deputy Conservator of Forests of the Nicobar Forest Division on April 23 this year that the three sanctuaries on Little Nicobar Island, Meroe and Menchal Islands were declared without any consultation with the islanders and the traditional owners and caretakers of the islands. Of these three regions, the Council noted that the islands of Meroe and Menchal were of “high cultural and spiritual importance” to the Nicobarese; They believe these sites host the spirits of their ancestors.

The council was responding to notice of a meeting of the committee formed to determine the environmentally sensitive zone around these three sanctuaries (Leatherback Turtle Sanctuary in parts of the LNI, Megapode Sanctuary on the whole of Menchal Island and Coral Sanctuary on the whole of Meroe Island). In the letter, the council said its chairman was not consulted before the committee was formed, only to be informed he was part of it a month later.

The council said the notification for these sanctuaries should be canceled and the eco-sensitive zones committee dissolved as it was against the wishes of the community.

Jairam Ramesh writes to Minister

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, Congress leader and former Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh wrote a letter to Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram, alleging that consent procedures under the Forest Rights Act have been violated in the case of the GNI project. Consent was sought through the Gram Sabhas representing settler families, while it should have been sought through the Tribal Council of Nicobar communities with rights to forest land under the FRA.

He also questioned how the government-controlled Andaman Adim Janjati Vikas Samiti could give approval to the project on behalf of Shompen, a particularly vulnerable tribal group. Mr Ramesh urged Mr Oram to intervene and ensure that A&NI management withdraws the permissions granted under the law.

Days ago, Mr. Ramesh had also written to Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, stating that the environmental impact studies for the project at GNI were rushed and did not include detailed studies spanning several seasons as required by law.

Also Read | Confusion over permits for Greater Nicobar project continues

Villages in darkness

In 2022, even before the A&NI administration urged the Special Gram Sabhas to seek permission for the diversion of forest land on the Great Nicobar Island for the project, the administration notified its intention to declare wildlife sanctuaries for corals, megapods and leatherback turtles on the three islands in April that year. In May, the administration raised objection or claim to these lands and on July 19, Nicobar Deputy Commissioner issued an order certifying that there was no objection to the notification and no claim was received in respect of the land.

That same year, in August, the Lesser and Greater Nicobar Tribal Council wrote to the regional government, stating that the July 19 order was issued before notification of the sanctuary plans had reached the residents of Lesser Nicobar Island. The council said no notice had been made calling for objections or claims to lands in Lesser Nicobar villages or Rajiv Nagar in Greater Nicobar as required by law.

The Council explained that the Nicobaris have a traditional belief system passed down from their ancestors, “by which we rule the islands of Meroe and Menchal.” “We have a deep respect for these islands as they contain the ancient spirits of our ancestors. Our traditions and practices have ensured that the integrity of all life on these islands remains intact,” the council said. He also added that there is no question of how they manage to keep these wildlife species intact on their beaches and outlying islands “which we own and use as residential and plantation assets”.

Additionally, the council noted that the beaches of Lesser Nicobar Island, declared as part of the Leatherback Turtle sanctuary, actually belong to the villages of Bahua, Muhincoihn and Kiyang on the west coast of the island, adding that none of the residents of these villages were consulted on these plans.

However, in October 2022, the management informed the three sanctuaries.

Tribal people’s forest rights unresolved for Nicobar project: council

constant opposition

Since then, the Tribal Council has been constantly writing to local officials and the Union government about their opposition to the declaration of the three wildlife sanctuaries, arguing that it would encroach on their pre-existing rights to these lands, which they use to conduct ritual hunts, maintain plantations, worship their ancestors and protect wildlife species around them.

The council objected to the draft Island Coastal Regulation Zone plan prepared for three wildlife sanctuaries, noting that these plans showed possible eco-tourism activities on the islands, which “we do not want on our islands”. In these objections in November 2024, the council had also given a list of what these islands really needed, such as clean public toilets, social facilities, piers, paths, public water wells and cellular towers, among other infrastructure.

In an effort to respond to concerns raised by the tribal council, the Nicobar administration issued a “clarification” in May 2025 stating that the declaration of the three sanctuaries would not affect “hunting rights granted to the Scheduled Tribes of the Nicobar Islands.” A month later, the Tribal Council once again wrote to the administration, reiterating its objection to the sanctuaries.

financial difficulties

The council added: “We don’t just use the coasts and forests of our islands for hunting – we rely on them to collect forest products, wood for lodges and canoes, and medicinal plants. There are many trees, rocks, etc., which are our places of worship and where we celebrate our festivals. In fact, Menchal and Meroe are also the primary coconut source areas for southern Nicobaris. So it is not enough to simply state that we are exempt from the hunting ban.”

Earlier this month, a Bench of the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court dismissed preliminary objections to petitions filed by the Union government alleging violation of the Forest Rights Act in diversion of forest land in GNI for its project. The court sent the matter to the final hearing in June this year.