India, Feb. 21 -- The recent decision of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to uphold the environmental clearance for the Rs 80,000-crore Great Nicobar infrastructure project marks a pivotal moment in India's environmental governance. The Tribunal stated that it found no "good ground" to interfere with the clearance, noted the project's strategic importance, and emphasised that the safeguards attached to the approval must be strictly implemented. It described the approach as "balanced."

With that order, the debate shifts from legality to implementation.

The project covers approximately 166 square kilometres in southern Great Nicobar and entails diversion of nearly 130 square kilometres of forest land. It proposes a transshipment port, an...