Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has launched a scathing attack on the central government over the Great Nicobar Island project. They released a collection of documents related to their protest, calling it an ‘environmental disaster’ and saying it was devastating to the island’s ecosystem.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Thursday launched a scathing attack on the central government over the controversial Great Nicobar Island project. He released a comprehensive compilation documenting his years of protest against the project, which he termed “a step toward environmental disaster.”
In a post on Twitter, the Congress leader made public an archive of his extensive public engagement on the issue, including social media posts, statements made in Parliament and official correspondence with various Union ministers and their responses.
He said, “Over the years it has been interesting to see my extensive public engagement on the Great Nicobar Islands Project and its devastating impacts on that unique bio-diversity rich ecosystem. Here is a compilation of (i) most of the social media posts; (ii) some brief interventions in Parliament; and most importantly (iii) letters to various Union Ministers and their replies.”
There has been interest in accessing my extensive public engagement over the past few years on the Great Nicobar Island Project and its devastating impacts on that unique biodiversity-rich ecosystem. Here is an anthology of (i) most of the social media posts; (ii) a couple of… — Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) July 2, 2026
Taking aim at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he warned that the mega-development project poses a catastrophic threat to the island’s pristine, biodiversity-rich ecosystem. “There will certainly be more such public engagement as the Prime Minister continues to escalate the environmental disaster in Great Nicobar,” Ramesh said.
5 petitions filed in Calcutta High Court
He further highlighted five separate petitions filed in the public interest and by concerned citizens and civil society groups, which are being heard in the Calcutta High Court. He elaborated, “These are: 1. Challenge based on violation of Eco-Sensitive Zone Notification in respect of Campbell Bay National Park. 2. Challenge based on violation of Eco-Sensitive Zone Notification in respect of Galathea National Park. 3. Challenge based on violation of Forest Rights Act, 2006 and its Rules, 2008. 4. Challenge based on violation of Coastal Zone Regulation Notification, 2019 and Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. Challenge based on violation. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) order of 16th February, 2026 is being tested on various grounds.
What is the government’s stand?
Meanwhile, according to the government, the project aims to take advantage of the island’s proximity to the East-West shipping route – about 40 nautical miles – and reduce India’s dependence on foreign transshipment ports, while also serving defense and national security objectives. The project includes a 14.2 million twenty-foot equivalent unit (MTEU) international container transshipment terminal, a greenfield international airport with a capacity of 4,000 peak-hour passengers, a 450 MVA gas-solar power plant and a planned township. (ANI)
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