Congress on Sunday cited environmental, tribal rights, transparency and security concerns over the massive Greater Nicobar Island project, saying the center’s latest press note on the project raised more questions than it answered.
This comes days after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi visited the island on April 28, with party general secretary Jairam Ramesh saying the visit brought “renewed urgency” to a project that was “being bulldozed through due process”, accusing the government of going into “damage control mode”.
“Galatea Bay hosts more than 20,000 coral colonies and is a major nesting site for leatherback turtles, with nearly 1,000 nests recorded in the last season alone. The government’s claim that only 1.82% of the island’s forests are affected is highly misleading. The ecological uniqueness of this area means that any conversion, no matter how small, will be significant and irreversible,” Jairam Ramesh said, adding that the memorandum avoids serious objections. Raised by local communities, environmental experts and civil society groups.
“The Modi government, clearly in damage control mode after the very emotional visit of Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi to Greater Nicobar on April 28, issued a press note on the Greater Nicobar Island Development Project three days later. This press note does not address any of the serious concerns raised to it by affected communities, environmental activists, anthropologists, academics, civil society experts and other professionals,” Ramesh said.
He pointed to inconsistent government data on logging, with numbers ranging between 711,000 and 964,000 trees, and noticeable changes in the zoning of coastal areas in the Gulf of Galatea.
The Great Nicobar Project envisions a trans-shipment port, an international airport and a township, with expectations to handle 10 million passengers annually and support a resident population of 350,000, far exceeding Port Blair’s current capacity of 1.8 million passengers annually. The government said the project includes compensatory afforestation over an area of 97.30 square kilometers and complies with all environmental regulations.
“The Great Nicobar Island Development Project is of immense strategic, defense and national importance and will place India at the center of trade in the Indian Ocean. All environmental safeguards have been strictly followed and the concerns raised do not reflect the comprehensive planning carried out in this project,” a statement issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change said.
Experts and opposition leaders have raised concerns about financial viability and transparency, noting that the port must compete with established centers such as Singapore and Colombo and lacks a strong hinterland. Tribal groups, including the Nicobarans and the Shombe, a particularly vulnerable tribal group, have cited issues of consent and land rights.
The Great Nicobar Project received environmental approval in 2022, and has since faced persistent opposition from scientists, environmental activists and tribal groups. Analysts say broader scrutiny is needed to balance development goals, environmental sustainability and community interests.
With agency input
