Congress leader Sonia Gandhi has called the Great Nicobar infrastructure project a “planned misadventure” that threatens both people and nature. She said the ₹72,000 crore plan endangers the Nicobarese and Shompen tribes while destroying a globally unique ecosystem.
In her article in The Hindu, Gandhi accused the Modi government of ignoring laws and constitutional safeguards. She explained that the Nicobarese, who lost their homes during the 2004 tsunami, now face permanent displacement. The Shompen, a particularly vulnerable group, risk losing their ancestral forests and social identity. She added that tribal councils had opposed the project after being rushed into approvals.
Gandhi warned that the project could cut between 8.5 lakh and 58 lakh trees, wiping out old-growth rainforests. She said this destruction would threaten rare species such as the Nicobar macaque, sea turtles, and dugongs. She rejected the government’s “compensatory afforestation” plan, arguing that plantations cannot replace centuries-old forests.
The Holistic Development of Great Nicobar project includes a transshipment port, airport, township, and power plant covering 160 sq km in a high-risk seismic zone. Gandhi urged citizens to resist this ecological and humanitarian disaster before it becomes irreversible.
