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Public update

Great Nicobar Turtles Ordered to Be 'Strategically' Flexible

16 February 2026 - Great Nicobar Island, Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Record date
16 Feb 2026
Location
Great Nicobar Island, Andaman and Nicobar Islands
The odd part

The NGT’s Magical Wand of Strategic Importance

What happened

The National Green Tribunal has cleared the ₹92,000 crore Great Nicobar project, declaring that 'strategic importance' is a much better fertilizer for the soul than coral reefs or nesting turtles. Environmentalists were reminded that while turtles have been there for millions of years, they haven't once contributed to the GDP or applied for a GatiShakti clearance, making their displacement a matter of national growth.

Source material