Rajnath Singh Defends Great Nicobar Project as Strategic Necessity Amid Ecological Concerns

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has described the Great Nicobar Island project as a strategic national initiative to safeguard India's maritime and commercial interests in the Indo-Pacific, in his first formal response to Congress MP Jairam Ramesh's concerns. The Rs 81,000 crore project, Singh stated on July 17, will enhance India's ability to maintain presence, move assets, and monitor critical sea lanes of communication.

Singh was responding to letters from Ramesh dated June 12 and May 16, in which Ramesh urged the government to consider expanding existing defence assets on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, such as INS Baaz at Campbell Bay, rather than proceeding with the current project, which he termed a 'recipe for ecological disaster'.

The government has proposed an integrated township, a trans-shipment container port, a solar and gas-based power plant, and a greenfield airport for both military and civilian use. Land has been designated for defence purposes on the western side of the trans-shipment port site.

Singh argued that Ramesh's suggestion of merely expanding existing facilities reflects an 'incomplete appreciation' of the project and the nature of maritime security in the Indo-Pacific. 'The repeated characterisation of the project as just a costly commercial venture overlooks the strategic realities of the region,' Singh said. He emphasised that the project is located near vital Sea Lanes of Communication (SLOCs), enhancing maritime domain awareness and outreach—advantages that other military stations such as INS Kohassa, INS Utkrosh, or AFS Car Nicobar cannot provide.

Singh also explained that the possibility of developing INS Baaz as a brownfield project was examined but deemed unsuitable due to the need for substantial land reclamation and disturbance to the tribal population, flora, and fauna. The decision to pursue a greenfield project at Galathea Bay was based on strategic, operational, environmental, and social factors.

Addressing environmental and tribal concerns, Singh stated that all statutory approvals have been obtained following detailed appraisal by expert bodies, with stringent safeguards and mitigation measures. 'The government remains committed to ensuring that critical national security interests are met as per the evolving threat perception dynamics while factoring in the need for sustainable development of national power,' he said.

In his response on July 25, Ramesh reiterated that the Great Nicobar Island project is 'most fundamentally a commercial enterprise' for which a strategic rationale is being invented to build a counter-narrative. He argued that evidence of permanent damage to a unique ecosystem is mounting. Ramesh cited retired naval officers who have questioned the defence reasoning. He rebutted the claim that the greenfield airport at Galathea Bay entails lesser environmental, social, and operational costs than expansion at INS Baaz, calling it 'demonstrably incorrect and logically contradictory'. He stressed the project's predominantly commercial nature.

The exchange highlights the tension between strategic development and environmental preservation in one of India's most ecologically sensitive regions.