Congress leader Jairam Ramesh warned that the Great Nicobar Project will displace tribals and threaten their survival. He said the mega infrastructure plan violates existing laws, policies, and regulations. According to him, the Great Nicobar Project will displace tribals and cause irreparable damage to the island’s ecology and indigenous communities.
Ramesh pointed out that the environmental impact assessment was rushed, flawed, and incomplete. He noted that further studies being ordered after granting clearance prove its limitations. He also highlighted that assessments began before terms of reference were even issued.
The former Environment Minister said the project ignores expert studies on the Shompen and Nicobarese tribes. He argued that designating new tribal reserves cannot compensate for de-notified areas, since it disregards indigenous needs and Great Nicobar’s biodiversity.
Ramesh also criticised the idea of compensatory afforestation in Haryana, calling it a “bogus equivalence” compared to felling rich island forests. He alleged that scientists faced pressure to approve the project, with some resigning over interference.
Earlier, Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi called the project a “planned misadventure” and said it mocked legal processes. Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav, however, defended it as essential for development and insisted that due clearances were obtained.
