Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve endangered by Modi govt: Jairam Ramesh

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh slammed the Modi government for 'bulldozing' the Great Nicobar Island Project, calling it 'ill-conceived' and a major threat to the ecologically sensitive, UNESCO-recognised Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve.

Congress Slams Project, Cites Danger to Biosphere Reserve

Alleging that the Great Nicobar Island Project is being bulldozed through by the Modi government, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday termed it "ill--conceived, commercially-driven" and said the Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve is now hugely endangered because of the move.

"We take great pride in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India - and rightly so. But what about the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves which are equally prestigious? Their objective is to preserve ecological and cultural diversity," Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X. "India has 18 designated Biosphere Reserves of which 13 are internationally recognised and included in this World Network. One of these thirteen declared in 2013 is none other than the Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve that is now hugely endangered because of the ill--conceived, commercially-driven Great Nicobar Island Project being bulldozed through by the Modi Govt," he added.

Government Defends Strategic and Regulated Development

The government has defended the Great Nicobar Project, saying it seeks to transform Great Nicobar into a strategic maritime and economic hub by leveraging its proximity (about 40 nautical miles) to the East-West shipping route and reducing dependence on foreign transshipment ports keeping in view the defence and National Security purpose The project includes major infrastructure components: a 14.2 million twenty-foot equivalent unit( MTEU) International Container Transshipment Terminal, a Greenfield International Airport (4000 Peak Hour Passengers-PHP)., a 450 MVA gas-solar power plant, and a planned township.

The government said the development follows a regulated environmental framework, with clearance under the EIA Notification, 2006 and ICRZ Notification, 2019, 42 compliance conditions, diversion of 1.82% of island forest cover, and compensatory afforestation planned over 97.30 sq. km. It said tribal welfare remains central in the project, "with no displacement proposed for Shompen and Nicobarese communities and a net increase in notified tribal reserve area through re-notification measures".

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