Overview
- Posting on X on Friday, the Congress leader alleged that official maps of Great Nicobar were altered between 2020 and 2021 to remove or relocate coral reef markings.
- He cited a shift of reef depictions from the island’s southern and western coasts to “mid-sea,” calling the change biologically implausible and favorable to the project.
- Ramesh also pointed to a change in Coastal Regulation Zone status, saying Galathea Bay no longer appeared under the stricter CRZ-IA category in the 2021 map.
- Galathea Bay is identified as the planned site for an international container transshipment terminal under the Great Nicobar Mega Infrastructure Project.
- Environmental groups and local communities reiterated concerns about risks to the island’s sensitive ecosystems, while no official government response was reported.