A panel of the environment ministry approved the contentious 16,610-hectare project on Great Nicobar island. According to a report, the Rs 750 billion project will comprise the development of a greenfield international airport, an international container terminal, a township, and a power plant.

"The Indian Ocean Region in general and the Indian Ocean, in particular, has turned into a strategic hotspot in recent years. In response to the increasing strategic value of this IOR, a critical mass of development in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands is necessary for strengthening India's regional presence", the report said.

In 1989, the island was designated as a biosphere reserve, and in 2013, it was included in UNESCO's man and biosphere project. According to the assessment, the projects will necessitate the removal of about 850,000 trees and the destruction of 12-20 hectares of mangrove forests. This will result in significant coral destruction and will claim approximately 298 hectares of seabed.

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