Congress MP Jairam Ramesh cites primatologists’ opposition to Great Nicobar Project

NEW DELHI: Congress MP Jairam Ramesh expressed strong support for the Association of Indian Primatologists, praising their public stance against the Great Nicobar mega infrastructure project.

Taking to X, he applauded the group’s courage in highlighting the ecological threats posed by the development, particularly to the region’s wildlife.

He wrote, “The Association of Indian Primatologists is a community of dedicated scholars, researchers, and conservationists. Its courage in coming out so openly against the Great Nicobar mega infra project is to be applauded.”

As per Ramesh, the primatologists’ recent statement outlined several critical concerns, beginning with the lack of transparency regarding the Wildlife Conservation Plan (WCP). The association pointed out that the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation Limited (ANIIDCO) had claimed to adopt the WCP from the Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON), but the plan was not made available to the public.

Furthermore, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) denied access to the document under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, citing Section 8.1 (a).

The primatologists raised additional alarm over the effects of the project’s extensive deforestation. They noted that the loss of forest cover would significantly impact the local atmospheric temperature and humidity, conditions vital for the survival of the Nicobar long-tailed macaques.

The destruction of their habitat could also contribute to a decline in precipitation, which would further reduce the food sources available for these macaques and other species dependent on the forest ecosystem.

The group in their release had warned that such drastic land-use changes could push the macaque population towards functional extinction. They also emphasised that the species is understudied, making it impossible for SACON to have gathered sufficient data to craft an effective WCP.

Ramesh endorsed the primatologists’ concerns, calling the Great Nicobar project a “recipe for ecological disaster,” and urged for a reassessment of the project’s potential environmental consequences. (ANI)