Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Jan 24: The Congress on Saturday raised serious concerns over media reports alleging that tribal communities in Great Nicobar Island are being pressured by local authorities to give up their ancestral land for the Rs 92,000-crore mega infrastructure project proposed for the island.
Reacting sharply, former Union Environment Minister and senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh described the project as an “ecological disaster” and accused the government of pushing it through without adequate sensitivity to environmental and indigenous rights. In a post on social media, Ramesh said the reported coercion of tribal residents was “unacceptable” and reflected how the project was being forced through despite widespread objections.
Sharing a copy of the news report that claimed district officials were pressuring tribal families, Ramesh said it was yet another example of how the environmentally fragile island was being “bulldozed” in the name of development. He also pointed out that legal challenges to the project are currently being heard in the Calcutta High Court and the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
“Professionals and experts have repeatedly raised red flags, but nothing seems to matter to an indifferent Modi government,” Ramesh said, reiterating the Congress’ long-standing opposition to the project.
The Congress leader’s remarks come amid the Union Environment Ministry’s continued defence of the Great Nicobar Island development plan. The Ministry has rejected claims that the project poses an environmental threat, stating that approvals were granted only after extensive evaluation of its ecological impact and strategic importance.
According to official records from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) in 2024, the decision to move ahead with the project was taken after careful consideration of its potential effects on the island’s ecosystem, alongside its national, strategic and defence significance.
The Ministry said the project underwent the mandatory environmental clearance process as prescribed under the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, 2006, which requires detailed scrutiny of all new and expansion projects. This process includes multiple stages such as screening, scoping, public consultation and expert appraisal, along with the preparation of an Environmental Management Plan.
As part of the assessment, several studies were conducted by leading statutory and research institutions, including the Zoological Survey of India, Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, Wildlife Institute of India and the Indian Institute of Science. Independent organisations such as IITs, the National Institute of Ocean Technology, the National Centre for Coastal Research and the National Institute of Oceanography were also involved in the appraisal process.
The Ministry further said that the project was evaluated by an independent Expert Appraisal Committee comprising specialists in science and engineering. The environmental clearance granted to the project includes 42 specific conditions aimed at safeguarding marine and terrestrial biodiversity.
To ensure ongoing oversight, the clearance mandates the formation of three independent monitoring committees to track pollution control, biodiversity protection, and the welfare of the Shompen and Nicobarese tribal communities. In addition, a High-Powered Committee was constituted by the Ministry following an NGT order dated April 3, 2023, to further supervise compliance and implementation of environmental safeguards.
Despite these assurances, the project remains politically and environmentally contentious, with opposition parties and activists continuing to question its long-term impact on fragile ecosystems and indigenous livelihoods.