New Delhi, Aug. 8 -- An area of 130 hectares (ha) falling within a tribal reserve will be diverted for the Great Nicobar Trunk Infrastructure Road project, the Union environment ministry has informed the Rajya Sabha. Overall, an area of 238.76 ha is proposed to be diverted for the arterial road which includes 39.23 ha of government revenue land, 39.86 ha of private land, 10.62 ha of deemed forest, and 149.05 ha of protected forest. The area falling within the tribal reserve is 130.4 ha, the ministry said in response to questions by AAP MP Narrain Dass Gupta. HT reported on June 20 that the Trunk Infrastructure Road, which will cut through Great Nicobar Island (GNI) and connect all villages on it, will lead to large scale employment, facilitate business and also make "unconnected areas on the route prosper," citing the draft social impact assessment (SIA) study for the project. The draft, published on A&N administration's Directorate of Social Welfare website this week added that a large number of trees will need to be felled for the road and that tribal populations of Shompen and Nicobarese have agreed to the land diversion....