Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Jattvibeday once again wrote to Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav questioning the environmental clearance process for the controversial Great Nicobar Island Development Project, alleging that the studies relied upon by the government were “grossly inadequate” and amounted to a “mockery of the EIA process”.In the letter, Ramesh accused the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) of claiming that the ecological impacts of the Great Nicobar mega infrastructure project were being “effectively managed” despite what he described as rapid and incomplete environmental assessments carried out over only a few days and weeks.The Congress MP said the government’s own rules mandate comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) studies spanning multiple seasons, especially for ecologically sensitive island regions such as Great Nicobar.“The law mandates that port projects, especially those in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are subjected to comprehensive EIA studies,” he wrote, adding that a “robust and complete baseline study needs to cover at least 3 seasons”.Ramesh cited the Office Memorandum issued by the MoEF&CC on November 3, 2009, which said that port projects in Andaman and Nicobar Islands “shall be subjected to Comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment including physical and mathematical modelling and ground verification”.Targeting the government’s defence of the Rs 72,000 crore Great Nicobar Island Development Project, the former Union Environment Minister said he could not locate the “comprehensive and robust EIA studies” repeatedly referred to in the ministry’s FAQs issued on May 1, 2026.Instead, he pointed to portions of the Final EIA report submitted in March 2022, which allegedly showed that environmental baseline studies were conducted only during the winter season between December 2020 and February 2021.“Thus, this 3 month i.e one season study is at best a Rapid EIA which your predecessor has clearly stated is inadequate to assess the environmental, and ecological impacts of a port,” the letter said.Ramesh further claimed that biodiversity surveys for the project were carried out in extremely short durations.According to the letter, the “Quick Primary survey of ecology and biodiversity” was conducted between December 14 and 22, 2020, while the primary survey of leatherback turtles lasted only between February 12 and 18, 2021.He also quoted the EIA study itself to argue that the biodiversity assessment was incomplete due to dense forests in the region.“The EIA itself admits, ‘Based on our site observations, it appears that what is uncovered so far is not complete and what is hidden may be even more valuable’,” he wrote.The Rajya Sabha MP further alleged that the Zoological Survey of India report relied on baseline data collected only between February and March 2021, while a Wildlife Institute of India study described itself as a “Rapid Assessment Study” conducted between April 14 and 19, 2021.Calling the environmental studies “an insult to science”, Ramesh wrote: “It is evident that these studies based on which environmental clearance has been granted are not even rapid EIAs and are based on baseline data collection over a few days and weeks at best and are grossly inadequate.”The Congress leader also raised questions over the confidentiality of the report prepared by the High-Powered Committee (HPC), which had been constituted following a National Green Tribunal order examining environmental clearances linked to the project.“I am at a complete loss to understand the logic and legality behind the claim of the MoEF&CC that the HPC’s report is confidential,” he wrote.Ramesh said when EIA reports, detailed project reports and airport DPRs linked to the project were already in the public domain, there was no basis to withhold the HPC report from the public.“In the interests of good governance and informed public debate, please make the HPC report public,” the letter added.Ramesh warned that the Great Nicobar Island’s “globally unique” biodiversity faced irreversible destruction because of the mega infrastructure project.“It is this unique ecosystem that will be destroyed by the Great Nicobar Island development project. The compensatory afforestation argument is completely bogus and you know it,” he wrote.He also claimed that even security experts had argued that India’s strategic and security requirements could be fulfilled “without inflicting such ecological devastation”.