Greater Nicobar project a recipe for ecological disaster: Jairam Ramesh
Jairam Ramesh has objected to the Great Nicobar Island Development Project, calling its current form an 'ecological disaster' in a letter to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. He acknowledges the need for strategic defense enhancement but advocates for less environmentally damaging alternatives. Ramesh highlights existing military infrastructure that could be expanded with lower ecological impact and questions the military justification for the transhipment port and township.
- ▪Jairam Ramesh wrote to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh opposing the Great Nicobar Island Development Project on environmental grounds.
- ▪He suggested expanding existing military assets like INS Baaz and Andaman and Nicobar Command facilities as less ecologically harmful alternatives.
- ▪Ramesh argued that the transhipment port and township in the project do not enhance military capability despite being used as a key justification.
- ▪The project has been defended by the government on strategic grounds, but Ramesh calls its current form a 'recipe for ecological disaster'.
- ▪Rahul Gandhi and the NGT have previously raised or addressed concerns about the project's environmental impact.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh on Sunday (May 17, 2026) wrote to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, objecting to the Great Nicobar Island Development Project, terming it in its current form an “ecological disaster”.The Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi had earlier raised objections to the project on the same grounds. The Great Nicobar project | Between the sea and the stateThe Central government has been citing strategic interests as the reason to go ahead with the project, for which Mr. Ramesh has suggested alternative means in his letter to Mr. Singh. Such measures had been proposed by naval officers in their writings, and could help improve the country’s defence without much damage to the area’s ecology, Mr.
…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at The Hindu — Top.
Discussion
0 commentsMore from The Hindu — Top
