New Delhi, 25 July (H.S.): Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh on Saturday wrote another letter to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on the Great Nicobar Island project, raising concerns over its environmental impact and the transparency of the approval process. This letter came after his earlier two letters sent on May 16 and June 12, and after Singh replied on July 17.

Sharing the minister’s reply and his new letter on social media platform X, Ramesh said the debate was continuing, but the government was moving ahead with the project through what he described as constantly changing arguments. He alleged that the project amounted to an “environmental disaster” being forced through.

In his letter, Ramesh said the environmental clearance granted for the Great Nicobar project, along with the report of the high-level committee, was weak on transparency and scientific rigour. He argued that the environmental impact assessment had not been treated with the seriousness it required and that adequate steps had not been taken to protect biodiversity. He added that the ecology of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands was extremely sensitive and that coral reefs, marine life and tribal communities must be given priority protection.

Ramesh said the government had advanced the project in the name of national security and strategic interests, but that this approach was incomplete. He warned that implementing any project while ignoring sustainable development and ecological protection would be dangerous for the future. He urged the Defence Minister to reconsider the project and stop it in order to prioritise environmental and social concerns.

He further said the government had cited approvals from the National Green Tribunal and other institutions, but in reality many serious questions had been overlooked in those clearances. He alleged that while the government claimed transparency, an environmental disaster was being bulldozed through.

Earlier, Rajnath Singh had written to Ramesh on July 17, saying the project site had been examined in detail and found to be the most suitable from technical and other standards. He said it was incorrect to claim that environmental and tribal concerns had been ignored.

Singh clarified that the project was approved only after detailed scrutiny under the Environment, Forest, Coastal Regulation and Wildlife Protection laws. He said all statutory approvals were granted by expert bodies with strict safety measures and mitigation provisions. The NGT, he added, had also found no basis to interfere with the environmental clearance and had held that sufficient steps had been taken to protect coral reefs and endangered species.

The Defence Minister said in his letter that the government remained committed to transparency and that all facts were in the public domain. He said the government was balancing national security interests with the need for sustainable development.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar