NEWS – Environment Impact Study for Nicobar Project Downplays Earthquake Risks

HIGHLIGHTS

• The ₹72,000-crore Great Nicobar Infrastructure Project (GNIP) includes a transshipment port, international airport, township, and power plant in Great Nicobar Island.
• The Environment Impact Assessment (EIA), conducted by Vimta Labs, claims the probability of a 2004-style mega earthquake is “low.”
• It cites a 2019 IIT-Kanpur study estimating the return period for magnitude 9+ earthquakes as 420–750 years and 80–120 years for magnitude >7.5.
• However, the IIT study had cautioned that the region has accumulated seismic strain and that earthquake prediction remains uncertain due to gaps in geological records.
• Key findings of the IIT study, including evidence of seven tsunami events in 8,000 years and a 2,000-year data gap, were omitted from the EIA.
• Professor Javed Malik (IIT-Kanpur) stressed the need for site-specific studies, given the area’s seismic complexity.
• Geo-scientist C.P. Rajendran warned of unknown rupture zones south of Andamans and highlighted the area’s high geodynamic vulnerability.
• A Ministry of Earth Sciences official admitted no detailed local seismic study was done but said “calculated risks” are inherent in such projects.
• The National Green Tribunal has ordered a review due to environmental and tribal concerns.