New Delhi, Oct 24 (UNI) Congress leader Jairam Ramesh today accused the Modi government of manipulating official maps of Great Nicobar Island to facilitate the contentious mega infrastructure project, sparking fresh environmental and procedural controversies.
Taking to social media platform X, Ramesh stated, “Another day, another revelation of how the Modi Government has bulldozed the Great Nicobar Mega Infra Project through due process. Now we learn that official maps of the island have been airbrushed to remove corals from the map.”
He pointed out stark differences between the 2020 and 2021 government maps, explaining, “The 2020 map showed extensive coral reefs along the southern and western coasts of Great Nicobar, including Galathea Bay—the proposed site for the international container transshipment terminal.
But the 2021 revision shifted these reefs mid-sea, a biologically impossible location for coral reefs, conveniently clearing the path for the mega-project.”
Ramesh highlighted the grave environmental consequences, noting, “Nearly the entire island was classified as CRZ-IA in 2020, a coastal regulation zone prohibiting port construction. Yet by 2021, Galathea Bay was mysteriously excluded from this protected category, enabling development to move forward.” He condemned the changes as a “bureaucratic rewrite” rather than a genuine ecological update.
“When reality stands in the way of corporate ambitions, the Modi government redraws it,” Ramesh said, accusing the administration of sidelining vital environmental protections to fast-track the project. The controversy amplifies concerns voiced by environmentalists and local communities about the potential damage to Great Nicobar’s fragile ecosystem, a biodiversity hotspot of national importance.
As scrutiny intensifies, Ramesh’s allegations call for urgent transparency and accountability to ensure that development does not come at the cost of India’s natural heritage.
