Places in News: Galathea Bay
Context:
The Union Environment Ministry recently admitted before the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that the Great Nicobar mega infrastructure project will have a significant impact on Galathea Bay
The bay is the site for the project's centre-piece (a transshipment port) which is being challenged before the NGT and the Calcutta High Court.
Location:
Galathea Bay is located on Great Nicobar Island, at the extreme southern end of the Andaman and Nicobar chain.
Biodiversity Hotspot:
The pristine evergreen forest is very rich in flora and fauna and there is a lot yet to be discovered.
Over 20,000 live coral colonies
An active nesting site for the Giant Leatherback turtle.
The beach saw over 600 leatherback nestings in the 2024 season which is one of the highest ever recorded.
Over 50 nesting mounds of the endemic Nicobar Megapode
It is a Schedule 1 species under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972
Important biodiversity elements like mangroves and saltwater crocodiles
Cultural Significance:
The Shompen and Nicobarese tribes, indigenous to Great Nicobar, rely on the forests and coastal ecosystems for their livelihood.
Regulatory Status and Controversy:
It was previously the Galathea Bay Wildlife Sanctuary proposed in 1997 specifically to protect its unique biodiversity.
But the sanctuary was denotified by the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) in 2021 to make way for the project.
The bay qualifies as a Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ)-1A area.
This is the highest protection category
This includes mangroves, corals, and turtle nesting beaches, and where large construction projects like ports are prohibited
Controversy:
Despite the NGT noting the site is in a CRZ-IA area, a subsequent report by the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM) concluded that no part of the project area is falling under CRZ-1A.
This contradiction is at the heart of the legal challenge.