World Environment Day: 10 Indian infra projects sparking green debates

Happy World Environment Day! While we love celebrating green milestones, it is just as vital to look at the massive developmental projects sparking fierce debate across India. Balancing economic growth with nature is tricky business, so here are 10 ongoing projects that have raised serious red flags for the Indian ecosystem.

1. The Great Nicobar island development project

This massive mega-port and township plan threatens the pristine rainforests and coral reefs of a sensitive biosphere reserve. Activists are deeply worried about the displacement of indigenous tribes and the destruction of critical nesting sites for leatherback turtles.

2. Hasdeo Arand coal mining, Chhattisgarh

Often called the "lungs of Chhattisgarh," this dense forest sits on massive coal reserves that corporations want to mine. Local Adivasi communities and environmentalists have been protesting for years to save the biodiversity hotspot and crucial elephant corridor.

3. Char Dham highway project, Uttarakhand

While aiming to connect holy shrines with wider roads, this Himalayan project has caused severe hill-cutting and destabilisation in a fragile eco-zone. Experts link the massive construction directly to increased landslides, flash floods, and sinking mountain towns like Joshimath.

4. Ken-Betwa river linking project, Madhya Pradesh

This ambitious river-interlinking initiative aims to solve water scarcity in the Bundelkhand region but comes at a heavy ecological price. It is set to submerge a massive chunk of the Panna tiger reserve, disrupting wildlife habitats and drowning millions of trees.

5. Mollem infrastructure projects, Goa

Plans for railway doubling, a highway expansion, and a power transmission line through the Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary sparked the massive Save Mollem movement. Citizens argue these projects will fragment a pristine Western Ghats ecosystem and destroy local biodiversity.

6. Dibang Valley hydropower project, Arunachal Pradesh

Proposed in one of India's most biodiverse regions, this mega-dam threatens to submerge vast subtropical forests and displace local Idu Mishmi communities. Scientists warn it could cause irreversible damage to rare bird species and downstream river ecosystems.

7. Ennore wetlands industrial expansion, Tamil Nadu

Encroachments by power plants and industrial units in Chennai's Ennore creek have severely degraded this vital wetland buffer. Environmentalists highlight how the destruction of mangroves and the fly ash pollution increase local flooding risks and ruin traditional fishing livelihoods.

8. Mumbai Coastal Road Project

The Mumbai Coastal Road Project (MCRP) is a 29.2 km high-speed, toll-free expressway built to decongest the city's western coastline. But the massive reclamation project has altered marine ecology. Traditional fishing communities and marine biologists have raised alarms over the destruction of coral patches and disrupted tidal patterns.

9. Mega developmental projects in Ladakh

The rush for large-scale solar plants, tourism infrastructure, and mining exploration in this high-altitude desert has triggered widespread local protests. Activists are demanding strict safeguards to protect fragile glaciers and the region's highly vulnerable water supply.

10. Dehradun-Delhi expressway, Uttarakhand

This rapid transit corridor cuts right through the Shivalik forest range, requiring the felling of thousands of old-growth trees. Environmentalists argue that despite promised animal eco-ducts, the highway severely fragments a critical migratory corridor for wild elephants.