The Central Government filed an urgent special leave petition before the Supreme Court of India seeking an immediate stay on ongoing judicial proceedings before the Calcutta High Court concerning environmental clearances for the massive Great Nicobar infrastructure project. Solicitor General representatives urged the apex court to intervene, arguing that parallel judicial reviews by high court benches risk creating procedural ambiguity around strategic national defense and port assets.
The ninety-two-thousand-crore megaproject envisions the construction of an international container transshipment terminal, a military-civil dual-use international airport, a township, and a gas-solar power plant across the ecologically sensitive island. Environmental petitioners before the high court had raised substantial legal questions regarding non-compliance with the Forest Rights Act and inadequate consultations with indigenous Shompen and Nicobarese tribal councils.
Union legal representatives maintained that statutory environmental and coastal clearances were granted after comprehensive expert evaluations incorporating stringent ecological conservation safeguards. Constitutional law commentators observed that the apex court’s eventual ruling will establish crucial judicial guidance on balancing sovereign infrastructure priorities with statutory indigenous rights and biodiversity safeguards.
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