Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday (May 19, 2026) said the Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve now stands hugely endangered due to the "ill-conceived, commercially-driven" Great Nicobar project, which is being "bulldozed" by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Centre.

In a post on X, Mr. Ramesh said the reserve is one of the 18 designated reserves recognised by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), adding that one takes great pride in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India and rightly so.

"But what about the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves which are equally prestigious? Their objective is to preserve ecological and cultural diversity," he said. The former Environment Minister pointed out that India has 18 designated biosphere reserves, of which 13 are internationally recognised and included in this world network.

"One of these thirteen declared in 2013 is none other than the Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve that is now hugely endangered because of the ill-conceived, commercially-driven Great Nicobar Island Project being bulldozed through by the Modi government," Mr. Ramesh said in his post.

Mr. Ramesh has been claiming that the Great Nicobar project endangers the ecology of the region. The Centre has been claiming that the project is necessary for the country's strategic interests.