Mounting pressure: Youth urges 15 members of the Parliament to act for Nicobar; Gandhi responds.
The Great Nicobar project has been a point of contention and concern in India for quite some time. On 2 April 2025, the climate justice organisation There Is No Earth B sent letters to 15 members of parliament urging them to take immediate action. The people’s movement has been highlighting the critical and escalating environmental and human rights issues caused due to this project and in a letter dated 12th April, 2025 has been recognised and responded to by **Sonia Gandhi. **Gandhi expressed “deep concern” over the “devastating ecological and human costs” of the project, criticized the “willful disregard for expert opinions,” and affirmed that she would “raise this issue in the relevant forums and advocate for a consultative approach” to development in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
In the letter, the organisation made four key demands:
- Halt any further environmental clearances related to the project
- Pause all ongoing and planned development activities
- Ensure a thorough and transparent Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
- Engage meaningfully with indigenous communities to secure their free and informed consent.
There Is No Earth B has been actively mobilizing public support through the Save Nicobar campaign that has directly engaged 4000+ individuals. Concerned citizens have signed postcards & sent formal email petitions to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).The campaign has led to the delivery of 1,200 postcards from 29 cities, and 2,595 formal letters and emails from 14 states and 3 Union Territories. The first 500 postcards were sent to the MoEFCC on 29 June 2024. On 3 February 2024, There Is No Earth B published an open letter raising critical concerns about the Social Impact Assessment (SIA) report prepared for the Great Nicobar Project. The letter outlines serious shortcomings and calls for a new participatory SIA.
Background: The Great Nicobar Project and What’s at Stake
The Holistic Development of Great Nicobar Island is a ₹91,000 crore mega-infrastructure initiative aimed at transforming the island into a global trade and logistics hub. The project encompasses the construction of a transshipment port, international airport, power plant, and township over more than 160 sq km of land, including 130 sq km of pristine primary forest. Construction is anticipated to commence following final Cabinet approval, with all necessary environmental clearances already in place.
Why Great Nicobar Matters
Great Nicobar Island has unimaginable flora and fauna, a substantial portion of the island is also designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. It is home to the Indigenous Shompen and Nicobarese peoples, who rely on the forest for their survival and cultural identity.
The island hosts a remarkable array of endemic species, including over 50% of all butterfly species, 40% of bird species, and 60% of mammal species found exclusively in this region.
How the Project Threatens the Island
- The project will result in the felling of over 10 million trees from one of India’s last remaining untouched rainforests.
- It poses a grave threat to the habitats of endangered species such as the leatherback sea turtle, megapode, Nicobar wild pig, Nicobar macaque, tree shrew, crested serpent eagle, paradise flycatcher, and saltwater crocodile.
- The livelihoods and lands of over 1,700 Indigenous people are at risk, with international experts warning that the survival of the Shompen tribe may be jeopardized.
- The proposed port site has experienced 444 earthquakes over the past decade, raising significant concerns about the project's seismic vulnerability. Experts caution that a repeat of a 2004-scale earthquake could lead to catastrophic infrastructure loss and widespread ecological damage from oil or chemical spills.
Despite widespread opposition, tenders for various components of the project — including the port, solar power systems, and research facilities — are already being issued.
We’re mobilising individuals, organisations and professionals from intersectional backgrounds to talk about Nicobar and stop this disaster of epic proportions. This email is to ask for your support to help us shed light on the objective of our campaign and help save precious lives that are being taken for granted. You can find out more about our work and everything related to the Nicobar campaign here.