Days after Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Great Nicobar Island, where he highlighted concerns about a project, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has written to Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav, urging the shelving of the project to protect the island’s biodiversity. Ramesh, countering the government’s justifications, warned that rushing the project could harm the island’s ecology. He emphasized the need to reconsider the project’s current design and impact on the unique ecosystem.
In a letter to the Environment Minister, Ramesh criticized the government’s argument of compensatory afforestation as misleading, echoing concerns raised by Rahul Gandhi during his visit. Gandhi had called the Nicobar development project a severe threat to the island’s natural and tribal heritage. Ramesh highlighted deficiencies in the island survey and raised doubts about the project’s alignment with national security interests.
Ramesh pointed out shortcomings in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report, noting that the survey conducted was not thorough enough, especially in forested areas. He questioned the basis for granting environmental clearance, citing inadequacies in the survey within dense forests. Additionally, he raised concerns about the confidentiality of certain ministry reports related to the project, calling for transparency in the decision-making process.
