ISLAMABAD: Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi has launched a signature campaign against the Indian government's mega infrastructure project in Great Nicobar Island, alleging that the development plan threatens one of South Asia's most ecologically sensitive regions.
Through a series of social media posts and public outreach efforts, Gandhi accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government of ignoring environmental concerns and risking irreversible damage to the island's unique biodiversity.
Rahul Gandhi, who is the leader of the opposition in the country's lower house of the parliament, Lok Sabha, posted a petition on his social media pages, including X and Facebook.
He asked the social media users to sign the petition to stop the BJP government from further destroying the southern Islands.
He wrote on his Facebook page, “The Modi government is destroying Great Nicobar Island. More than 1.5 crore [15 million] trees are being destroyed, along with ancient coral reefs and irreplaceable rainforests, to profit one businessman. This is India's inheritance; they are bulldozing. And only you can stop them. Sign the petition.”
The Congress Party has urged citizens to support its campaign to protect the fragile ecosystem.
Environmental groups have also raised concerns about the scale of the proposed project.
According to estimates cited by ecologists, more than 10 million trees could be affected, far exceeding earlier official projections.
Critics argue that large-scale construction could endanger forests, mangroves, wetlands, and wildlife habitats that have remained largely untouched for decades.
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are among India's richest biodiversity hotspots.
Forests cover more than 86% of the land area and include evergreen, deciduous, mangrove, bamboo, littoral, and brackish-water forests.
The islands are home to around 2,200 plant species, including about 200 endemic varieties found nowhere else in the world.
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands is an Indian Union Territory comprising 572 islands, while Great Nicobar is one of these islands, the largest and southernmost in the Nicobar group.
