Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Sep 8: Congress parliamentary party chairperson Sonia Gandhi has launched a scathing attack on the Central government over its ambitious Great Nicobar Island mega-infrastructure project, describing it as a “grave misadventure” that endangers fragile ecosystems and violates the rights of indigenous tribal communities. In a strongly worded op-ed titled The Making of an Ecological Disaster in the Nicobar, Gandhi warned that the proposed development not only undermines constitutional safeguards but also puts at risk the survival of the Shompen and Nicobarese tribes — among India’s most vulnerable indigenous communities.
Referring to the project as the latest in a series of “half-baked and ill-conceived” policy moves, Gandhi criticised the government for pushing ahead with a ?2.72 lakh crore plan that includes a port, international airport, township, and power plant, without adequate environmental or social assessments. She asserted that the mega-project threatens a unique and sensitive ecosystem, citing official and independent estimates suggesting between 8.5 lakh and 58 lakh trees may be cut down. “This level of destruction is not just deeply worrying; it may be grossly underestimated,” she noted.
Gandhi raised alarm over the planned compensatory afforestation, which is to take place in Haryana — a state ecologically distinct and geographically distant from the Nicobar Islands. She called the move “a tragedy bordering on farce,” especially as a portion of the designated afforestation land has reportedly been auctioned for mining by the Haryana government.
On the human impact, Gandhi warned that the Nicobarese, already displaced by the 2004 tsunami, now face permanent uprooting, while the Shompen risk losing their forest-based existence and cultural identity. She argued that key constitutional provisions, including Article 338-A and the Forest Rights Act, have been bypassed, and local tribal councils were either ignored or coerced into rushed approvals.
Citing serious lapses in biodiversity assessments, Gandhi pointed out that surveys on sea turtle nesting and dugong populations were carried out in off-seasons or using flawed methodologies. “Primatologists have raised concerns about the Nicobar long-tailed macaque, and yet biodiversity reports were prepared under duress,” she said.
Further, Gandhi highlighted that portions of the development fall within CRZ 1A zones — legally protected coastal areas that host nesting sites for endangered turtles and coral reefs. Despite this, construction is reportedly proceeding, with critical environmental reports kept from the public.
Emphasising the seismic risks of building such large-scale infrastructure in an earthquake-prone zone, she questioned the wisdom of locating such an investment-heavy project in a region so vulnerable to natural disasters.
Sonia Gandhi urged the nation to not stay silent in the face of such "betrayal of national values," calling for collective action to halt what she described as a reckless project that threatens people, ecology, and India's moral responsibility to future generations.