Jairam Ramesh urges Rajnath Singh to scrap Great Nicobar airport plan

Congress MP Jairam Ramesh wrote to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, urging him to scrap the proposed greenfield airport in Great Nicobar Island, citing severe ecological and social impacts and bypassing of environmental assessment norms by the govt.

Congress MP Jairam Ramesh on Friday wrote to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, urging him to reconsider the proposed greenfield airport at Gandhi Nagar-Shastri Nagar in Great Nicobar Island, citing severe ecological and social impacts.

Congress General Secretary (In-charge of Communication) continued to raise strong objections to the Great Nicobar Island mega infrastructure project, flagging that "serious and systematic environmental impact" and accusing the government of bypassing comprehensive environmental assessment norms.

Ramesh Proposes Alternative Site

In his detailed letter, Ramesh referred to his earlier communication dated May 16, 2026, where he had suggested that "in order to minimise its adverse ecological impacts and also meet strategic objectives, the expansion of the existing runway at INS Baaz on Campbell Bay could be considered as an alternative to building a greenfield airport at Gandhi Nagar-Shastri Nagar area of Great Nicobar Island."

He also highlighted media reports from June 8, 2026, quoting "Defence Ministry sources" that the runway expansion at INS Baaz would be limited due to ecological concerns. "I appreciate the sudden worry for ecological protection but please permit me to submit the following facts for your consideration," Ramesh wrote.

Ecological and Social Impacts Highlighted

Ramesh pointed out that the proposed site at Gandhi Nagar-Shastri Nagar would require cutting of two forest-covered hills of 115 meters, encroach on 225 acres of protected forest and 130 acres of deemed forest used by the Shompen tribal community, and sit on 142 acres of Island Coastal Zone Regulation (ICRZ)-1A land that includes turtle nesting beaches, corals, and nesting grounds of the endangered Nicobar megapode.

The project would also involve reclamation of a creek, relocation of saltwater crocodiles, and displacement of 234 ex-servicemen settler families for the third time, he noted.

Government Justifies Mega Project

According to the government, the project seeks to leverage the island's proximity--around 40 nautical miles--to the East-West shipping route and reduce India's dependence on foreign transhipment ports while serving defence and national security objectives. The project includes a 14.2 million twenty-foot equivalent unit (MTEU) International Container Transhipment 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.

'Dubious' Environmental Assessment Criticised

Ramesh stressed that the site "has not been subject to any serious and systematic environmental impact assessment, especially since Great Nicobar has been designated as an Important Bird Area, an Endemic Bird Area and also holds the significance of being situated on two international bird flyways--the Central Asian and the East Asian-Australasian bird Flyways."

Ramesh criticised delays in official responses, stating, "The proposed airport site at Galathea Bay was first declared as a dual-purpose airport by the Union Home Ministry on March 30, 2022. It has taken the Defence Ministry over six years to make a statement on it, albeit verbally and anonymously. It has been compelled to do so because the disastrous ecological impacts of the Great Nicobar Island Project...have become all-too-evident and are inviting widespread concern."

He later urged the Defence Minister to reconsider the rejection of a full expansion of the INS Baaz runway, "which has been recommended by some distinguished naval personnel themselves."

Ramesh also copied the letter to the Union Minister of Environment, Forests and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav, noting repeated concerns over the "demonstrably dubious nature of the environmental impact assessment of the Great Nicobar Island Project in its totality."

(ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)