‘Ecological devastation in making’: Congress flags concerns over Great Nicobar project

The Congress on Sunday stepped up its attack on the Centre over the Great Nicobar Island development project, with senior leader Jairam Ramesh writing to environment minister Bhupender Yadav, warning that the project could “destroy” the island’s fragile ecosystem and urging a complete reassessment of its design.

In his detailed letter, Ramesh said the environmental clearances granted were based on studies that were “grossly inadequate” and accused the process of making a “mockery of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) framework”.

“I wish to reiterate that the Great Nicobar Island’s biodiversity is globally unique… it is this unique ecosystem that will be destroyed by the project,” Ramesh wrote, calling for a pause and review of the plan.

He alleged that baseline studies were conducted over only a few days or weeks, falling short of mandatory multi-season assessments required under environmental norms.

“These reports are an insult to science and make a mockery of the EIA process,” he said, adding that even official FAQs claiming “robust environmental safeguards” lacked supporting scientific backing.

Ramesh also rejected the government’s claim of compensatory afforestation, calling it “completely bogus”, and said security needs cited for the project could be met without causing ecological damage.

“Security experts have themselves written that the country’s essential security needs can be met without inflicting such ecological devastation,” he noted.

He further pointed to legal and procedural concerns, citing provisions under coastal regulation norms and past environment ministry guidelines mandating comprehensive multi-season studies for port projects.

Ramesh also referenced earlier judicial observations, including a 2023 National Green Tribunal (NGT) order that flagged “unanswered deficiencies” in environmental clearances and called for a High-Powered Committee review.

He questioned the Centre’s claim that the committee’s report was confidential, arguing it undermined transparency and accountability.

“When the original clearance process was in the public domain, how can a court-mandated reconsideration be kept confidential?” he asked.

The Congress leader said he would be willing to share official documents contradicting the government’s claims and reiterated that the issue was of “great and grave public importance”.

The Opposition party has intensified its criticism of the project in recent weeks, arguing that it threatens both ecological balance and tribal rights in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, while the government maintains that the initiative is a strategic and sustainable development effort aligned with national interests.

With PTI inputs