Ecological disaster: Jairam Ramesh writes to Rajnath on Great Nicobar project
Jairam Ramesh has written to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, calling the ₹81,000 crore Great Nicobar Island Development Project an ecological disaster and questioning its justification on security grounds. He urged the government to expand existing naval infrastructure instead, citing lower environmental impact. Ramesh also challenged the validity of tribal consent under the Forest Rights Act, highlighting procedural flaws and low public participation.
- ▪The Great Nicobar project includes a deep-sea port, international airport, township, and power plant across 16,610 hectares and has received environmental clearance despite ecological concerns.
- ▪Ramesh argued that existing naval assets like INS Baaz could be expanded with far less environmental damage compared to the new project.
- ▪He contested the government's claim of tribal consent, noting that gram sabha meetings had abysmally low turnout and that a key no-objection certificate was later withdrawn by the Tribal Council.
- ▪The project is being executed by the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation (ANIIDCO) and has faced legal challenges over violations of the Forest Rights Act and environmental norms.
- ▪Three public interest litigations have been filed in the Calcutta High Court challenging both the tribal consent process and the reduction of eco-sensitive zones around national parks on the island.
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Ecological disaster: Jairam Ramesh writes to Rajnath on Great Nicobar projectThe letter, dated May 16, is the third time Ramesh wrote to a senior Cabinet minister in less than a fortnight on the projectPublished on: May 17, 2026 3:30 PM ISTBy HT Correspondent, New DelhiShare viaCopy link Congress general secretary in-charge of communications and Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh wrote to defence minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday, calling the ₹81,000 crore Great Nicobar Island Development Project “a recipe for ecological disaster” and urging him to consider expanding existing naval infrastructure across the Union Territory instead.A ₹81,000 crore project is being executed by the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation (ANIIDCO) (ANI)The letter, dated May 16, is the third…
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