New Delhi, February 16 The Congress on Monday termed the National Green Tribunal's approval of the Great Nicobar project as "deeply disappointing," saying there is clear evidence that the project will have "disastrous ecological impacts."
A six-member special bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) reportedly disposed of challenges to the Great Nicobar mega infrastructure project and concluded that it found "no good ground to interfere," as there were "adequate safeguards" in the project's environmental clearance.
Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh pointed out that the matter is, however, still under argument in the Calcutta High Court and said that now is the only beacon of hope.
"The decision of the National Green Tribunal giving its approval to the Great Nicobar project is deeply disappointing. There is clear evidence that the project will have disastrous ecological impacts," Ramesh said.
"The conditions for its clearance, that the NGT draws reference to, will do little to deal with these long-term consequences. The matter is, however, still under argument in the Calcutta High Court that now is the only beacon of hope," the former environment minister said in a post on X.
Ramesh further said that he has had "animated exchanges" with Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on the project. The Congress leader shared the exchanges in which he has strongly opposed the project and demanded its scrapping.
The former Union minister also shared an article that said the mega-infrastructure initiative, which envisions transforming the remote outpost into a major transshipment and defence hub, has sparked procedural, ecological and displacement concerns.
Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi had earlier also slammed the project and alleged that the BJP-led government has made a mockery of legal and deliberative processes under the project.
Terming the Great Nicobar infrastructure project a "planned misadventure," Gandhi had said last year that it poses an existential danger to the island's indigenous tribal communities and is being insensitively pushed through, making a "mockery of all legal and deliberative processes".
This was countered by Environment Minister Yadav, who had claimed that all clearances were obtained, and defended the project as necessary for the country's development.