Ecological Alarm: Congress MP Backs Primatologists Against Great Nicobar Project

Congress MP Jairam Ramesh supports the Association of Indian Primatologists in opposing the Great Nicobar mega infrastructure project, citing ecological threats. He highlights concerns over lack of transparency in wildlife conservation plans and impacts on local wildlife, especially the endangered Nicobar long-tailed macaques.

In a bold move, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh has voiced strong support for the Association of Indian Primatologists, commending their public dissent against the Great Nicobar mega infrastructure project. On platform X, Ramesh lauded the group for courageously spotlighting the ecological perils posed by the development, particularly to regional wildlife.

Ramesh praised the association, stating, 'The Association of Indian Primatologists is a committed community of scholars, researchers, and conservationists. Their bravery in openly opposing the Great Nicobar mega infrastructure project deserves applause.' According to Ramesh, the primatologists' statement highlighted critical issues, foremost being the opacity surrounding the Wildlife Conservation Plan (WCP). While the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation Limited (ANIIDCO) claimed to have adopted the WCP from the Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON), the plan remains unpublished.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) restricted access to the document under the Right to Information Act, invoking Section 8.1 (a). The primatologists expressed concerns over the deforestation impacts of the project, noting that forest loss would alter atmospheric conditions essential for the survival of the Nicobar long-tailed macaques.

Additionally, the destruction of their habitat risks reducing precipitation, depriving the macaques and other species of vital food sources. The group cautioned that such land-use changes might drive the macaque population towards functional extinction, emphasizing the species' understudied nature, which challenges SACON's ability to devise a robust WCP.

Ramesh endorsed the primatologists' concerns, branding the Great Nicobar project a 'recipe for ecological disaster' and called for a reassessment of the project's environmental implications. (ANI)

(With inputs from agencies.)