New Delhi: Hitting back at Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav for criticising the Congress for opposing the Great Nicobar infrastructure project, party leader Jairam Ramesh on Sunday said drawing the nation’s attention to an imminent “ecological and humanitarian disaster” is not “negative politics” but an expression of grave concern.
The minister is simply unable to answer basic questions that Congress has been repeatedly raising on the project, Ramesh said.
“The Union Minister of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change Shri Bhupender Yadav has accused the Indian National Congress of doing what he calls ‘negative politics’ on the Great Nicobar mega infrastructure project.Drawing the nation’s attention to an imminent ecological and humanitarian disaster is NOT ‘negative politics’. It is an expression of grave concern,” Ramesh said on X.
The minister is simply unable to answer basic questions that the INC has been repeatedly raising on the project, he said and asked whether the Great Nicobar Mega Infra Project, which requires the diversion of lakhs of trees, violate the National Forest Policy, 1988 which states that “tropical rain/moist forests, particularly in areas Andaman & Nicobar Islands should be totally safeguarded?”
“Compensatory afforestation is always a poor substitute for old-growth forests but the afforestation planned in this project is farcical. How can afforestation in distant Haryana, with a completely different ecosystem, be considered a genuine offset for the loss of old-growth rainforest unique to Great Nicobar? Why has the Government of Haryana already freed up 25 per cent of this land for mining instead of reserving it for the afforestation?” Ramesh said.