New Delhi, Apr 12 (PTI) Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Saturday questioned the rationality of compensatory afforestation in Haryana for forest land used in the Great Nicobar Island Development Project and alleged that the state government had even auctioned off 25 per cent of the earmarked land for mining.

“I have raised the issue of the arbitrary and illegal manner in which the Great Nicobar mega infra project was rushed through in an exchange of letters with (Union) Minister for Environment, Forests and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav,” he said in a post on X.

Ramesh, a former Union environment minister, said one of the issues raised was that compensatory afforestation for the large-scale diversion of forest land in Great Nicobar was being planned in distant Haryana.

“It made zero ecological sense given the climatic differences, and since old growth vegetation plays a unique role in protecting biodiversity. Compensatory afforestation is no substitute for loss of natural forests. It is done to assuage a guilty conscience,” he said.

“It now emerges that in addition to being nonsensical, this afforestation plan is also likely to face challenges in Haryana since the state government has auctioned off 25 per cent of this land for mining,” Ramesh said citing a media report.

The veteran Congress leader has raised strong objections to the Great Nicobar Island Development Project, alleging that it would be disastrous for the island’s environment and prove to be an ecological disaster. PTI SKC SZM SZM