Timber from around 10 lakh trees to be cut for the mega infra project at the Great Nicobar island is likely to be used for the same project, according to a government document.

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation (ANIIDCO) – the quasi-government agency implementing the project – is “exploring the possibility” of using “softwood as biogas for power generation”.

ANIIDCO has asked a private consultant to submit an “estimated requirement of wood that can be utilised for building in township”. The forest department has also been asked to prepare a proposal for setting up a “manufacturing unit for plywood and saw mill”.

Under the Rs 72,000-crore project, a township, a port, an airport and a solar and gas power plant will be built in the island, a UNESCO biosphere reserve.

13 firms show interest in tree-cutting

ANIIDCO had in August month floated an expression of interest for tree enumeration, cutting and transportation. The last date for submission was September 30.

As many as 13 private and government companies into environmental engineering and infrastructure have shown interest, suggest the minutes of the meeting held by ANIIDCO and chaired by its managing director Nandini Paliwal on October 4.

The private firms include cement giant Ultra Tech, Hyderabad-based Falcon Resilient Infra, Mumbai-based Terracon Ecotech and Delhi-based EQMS Global. Public sector undertakings who participated in the EoI are, MECON, RITES and Konkan Railway Corporation Limited. While RITES and Konkan are under the administrative control of the railway minister, MECON is under the ministry of steel.

Based on the inputs from stakeholders during the EoI, ANIIDCO said it was mulling to float separate tenders for tree enumeration and cutting, according to the minutes of the meeting.

Environmentalists had questioned the EoI as the project clearance was challenged in the eastern bench of the National Green Tribunal and the Calcutta High Court.

Varying figures

The project is spread over 166.10 sq km, including 130.75 sq km of forested area. In 2022, ANIIDCO received forest, environment and coastal clearances. For the township alone, 113.75 sq km of forest area will be used.

In lieu of the trees cut, afforestation will take place in an area spread over 260 sq km Haryana and Madhya Pradesh.

While Haryana has submitted its afforestation proposal with the Union ministry of environment, forests and climate change, Madhya Pradesh is yet to do so, according to the minutes of the meeting.  Afforestation will be undertaken in the Aravallis in Haryana over an area of 245 sq km while saplings on the rest of the 15 sq km will be planted in Madhya Pradesh.

In July this year, environment minister Bhupendra Yadav informed the Lok Sabha that 9.64 lakh trees would be axed for the entire project. His statement was in response to a question by AIMIM’s Asaduddin Owaisi on whether more than 1 crore trees would be cut for the project. Earlier, while granting the stage one in-principle forest clearance in 2022, the central government’s estimate for trees felling was 8.5 lakh.

Environmentalists have estimated that the government’s figure could be an overestimate by a big margin. They said 32 lakh to 58 lakh trees could be felled for the project.

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