Cutting of 8.5 lakh trees… Know what is the Great Nicobar Project, on which Congress raised questions

New Delhi: Congress leader Jairam Ramesh targeted the central government regarding the Great Nicobar Project. he/she said the Union Environment Ministry’s claim that 8.5 lakh trees will be cut for the Great Nicobar Development Project. This assessment is very low. The Congress General Secretary said that the only sensible way to proceed on this project is to stop the project. A decision in this regard should be taken keeping aside ego and prestige. Know what is the Great Nicobar Project on which Congress has raised questions.

Jairam’s questions on the issue of cutting of trees

Former environment minister Jairam Ramesh shared a media report on Twitter, which said that the government claimed that only 50 per cent of this forest area, or about 6,500 hectares, would be deforested. About 8.5 lakh trees will be cut. However, these deforestation figures are very low compared to deforestation figures based on three decades of experience. Jairam Ramesh further said that we estimate that about 32 lakh to 58 lakh trees will have to be cut for this project. It could be even higher, depending on whether rich forest areas are being cleared or not.

Government’s claim rejected

Jairam Ramesh has been saying that the Great Nicobar Project unnecessarily and unacceptably endangers the ecology. he/she had earlier written a letter to Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav in this regard. Jairam Ramesh had constituted a high-powered committee (HPC) to reconsider the environmental clearance given to the Great Nicobar Project. Along with this, its credibility, structure and conclusions were also questioned.

What is Great Nicobar Project

The Great Nicobar Project of the Central Government is a project worth Rs 72,000 crore. It is being built on the southernmost and largest part of Nicobar Island. Great Nicobar Island is located about 1,800 kilometers east of mainland India. It is being built in an area of ​​910 square km in the Bay of Bengal. The island also has Indira Point, which is just 170 km from Sumatra, Indonesia’s largest island.

The Great Nicobar Island Project was started by the Narendra Modi government in 2021. This mega project is to be built till the last end of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. This includes setting up a port for cargo ships, an international airport, smart city and a 450 MW gas and solar power project. However, due to the construction of this project, about 10 lakh trees will be sacrificed, which can become a big environmental crisis there.