'The project will facilitate physical and cultural decimation of indigenous people'

The Great Nicobar Project has all the hallmarks of a disaster-seismic, ecological, human. Why did it get the go-ahead?

I find this difficult to understand, particularly since the concerns are quite clear, well-known and well-documented for these islands. I think, there is a lack of awareness in the policy ecosystem as well as a complete buy in into "one" kind of idea of economic development-big infrastructure. Coupled with an ignorance of the situation on the ground, the challenges and the vulnerabilities, this makes for a deadly combination.

Essays in the book show how the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) did not put a check on the project.

It is not about just putting a check on the project. Institutions like WII, NGT and others have actually facilitated the clearances the project needed. The Directorate of Tribal Welfare of the Andaman and Nicobar Administration, the main body tasked with ensuring tribal welfare, is on record promising the project proponent all help in clearing regulatory processes, including for de-reservation of tribal reserve land, for the project.

This is really unfortunate. And this is also not an isolated instance.