No end to march of grave ecological folly in Great Nicobar: Cong slams govt

NEW DELHI: Attacking the Modi administration over the Great Nicobar project, the Congress on Friday stated there seems to be no end to the march of "grave ecological folly" there and asserted that genuine local and national interest demands that the venture.

Key points

• "There seems to be no end to the march of grave ecological folly in Great Nicobar, " Ramesh remarked on X.
• "But, mysteriously, within a fortnight, these plans were withdrawn citing 'administrative reasons.' Hopefully this withdrawal will be permanent, " Ramesh remarked.
• Genuine local and national interest demands that the project not be taken forward, Ramesh remarked.
• Jairam Ramesh urges NGT to create Great Nicobar project review report public.

Congress general secretary and former environment minister Jairam Ramesh remarked the public battle for saving Great Nicobar continues even though the Modi administration is now 'planting' new reasons for going ahead with it.

First, there is the Great Nicobar Island Development Project — transshipment port, airport, and vast tourism complexes — that is being "bulldozed" through with environmental and forest clearances having been given in clear violation of all rules, procedures, and guidelines, he remarked.

For context, the Calcutta High Court is hearing five separate challenges to this disaster of a project but the Modi administration is supremely unmindful, unconcerned, and unmoved, Ramesh stated.

"Second, comes news that on August 10, 2026, that the local administration had announced plans for establishing big energy-guzzling data centres in notified areas around Little Andaman and Great Nicobar, " he remarked.

According to He additionally shared a media report which, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands administration has withdrawn an Expression of Interest (Eol) seeking feasibility proposals for a private sector-led green Al data centre on the islands.

Notably, the Congress has alleged that the Great Nicobar Island Project as presently conceived is "overwhelmingly a commercial enterprise" and the unique biodiversity of the area is being endangered.

Taken together, the developments around no end to march of grave ecological folly in Great Nicobar: Cong point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.