Congress writes to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Great Nicobar Project

New Delhi: Senior Congress MP Jairam Ramesh on Sunday shot off a letter to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on the Great Nicobar Island Project, urging him to look at alternative plans with "far less adverse environmental impacts" while claiming that the present proposal is a "recipe for ecological disaster"

Ramesh, also Congress General Secretary (Communications) and Rajya Sabha Chief Whip, insisted that there can be "no two opinions on the need to project India’s strategic capabilities in a credible manner" but said that Singh should "seriously consider" the alternatives that have been proposed by distinguished naval officers themselves in their writings.

In his letter, he said had earlier written to Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav on how the 'The Great Nicobar Island Project: FAQs' published by the government on May 1 present a "completely false picture" on the project's environmental clearances which, in reality, have been given on very dubious grounds.

He said he has also written to Tribal Affairs Minister on how the FAQs misrepresent totally the position regarding the fulfilment of the provisions of the Forest Rights Act, 2006 as part of the project's clearance process which flagrantly violate, in letter and spirit, the individual and collective rights given to tribal communities by Parliament.

Ramesh told Singh that the project is essentially a commercial venture and facing growing public criticism because of the ecological damage it will cause, is being sought to be justified by the government supposedly on overriding security considerations.

A former Environment Minister, Ramesh referred to INS Baaz located in Campbell Bay on the Great Nicobar Island commissioned in July 2012 and said the plans for at least trebling the length of the existing runway and making a naval jetty have been awaiting approval for almost five years. These plans have far less adverse environmental impacts as well, he said.

"Second, there are also assets of the Andaman and Nicobar Command created many years ago that could be expanded with far less environmental costs. These include INS Kardip, INS Kohassa, INS Utkrosh, INS Jarawa and the Car Nicobar Air Force Station," he said.

"Third, the transshipment port and the township that are an essential part of the Great Nicobar Island Project do not enhance our country’s military capability in any way. Yet, now that suddenly has emerged as a major justification for them," he said.