Development Plan for Little Andaman

In News

Recently, land has been sanctioned for Phase I of the ‘Sustainable Development of Little Andaman Island’.

• Projects to be executed in Phase I include an airport complex, a TransShipment Port (TSP) at South Bay, a mass rapid transport system and a Free Trade Zone (FTZ) and warehousing complex on the southwestern coast.

About the Development Vision

• It has been piloted by the NITI Aayog to leverage the strategic location and natural features of the island and also for the holistic and sustainable vision for Great Nicobar.
• Under it, a new greenfield coastal city will be developed there as an FTZ, competing with Singapore and Hong Kong.
• The proposal is pivoted along with three development zones.
  • Zone 1: 102 sq km along the east coast of Little Andaman; will be the financial district and medi city; include an aerocity; a tourism and hospital district.
  • Zone 2: 85 sq km of a pristine forest; leisure zone; film city; a residential district and a tourism Special Economic Zone (SEZ).
  • Zone 3: 52 sq km of a pristine forest; a nature zone, further categorised into an exclusive forest resort, nature healing district and a nature retreat, on the western coast.
• Infrastructural Developments
  • Various entertainment zones along with an automated drone delivery system and cure institutions.
  • International airport capable of handling all types of aircraft.
  • Expansion of the only jetty on the island and development of a marina.
  • Construction of a greenfield ring road supplemented by a mass rapid transit network.
• The Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation (ANIIDCO) has been made the nodal agency.
• In January 2021, the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) denotified the entire Galathea Bay Wildlife Sanctuary to allow for the port there and an Environment Ministry Expert Committee approved a “zero extent” Ecologically Sensitive Zone (ESZ) for the Galathea National Park to allow the use of land.

Significance

• Enhance Connectivity
  • The project will lead to improved air and sea connectivity leading to the holistic development of the island.
  • It will also ensure digital connectivity of the island with Port Blair and other islands.
• Economical Benefits
  • Creation of such world class infrastructure will require manpower at all levels and hence create numerous job opportunities.
  • The infrastructure development will lead to high-end ecotourism which in turn would provide the country with increased revenues.
• Social Development
  • The local communities will be able to avail better health, education and connectivity facilities. Most of them work as labourers or do menial jobs in high-end resorts, with very less scope of development.
  • The increased inflow and outflow of people will lead to cultural exchanges and will also lead to demographic development of the island.
• Geopolitical and Strategic Benefits
  • Great Nicobar Island is only about 90 km away from the western tip of the Malacca Strait, which is an important shipping route between the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea.
    • India’s only tri-service command is established in Andaman and Nicobar at the entrance to the Malacca Strait.
  • The overall development will lead to better logistics and continuous surveillance on the marine activities.
  • It will help India secure its territory and protect its trade routes even as China aims to expand its naval reach.

Concerns Highlighted

• Structural Concerns
  • The vision document has maps without explanations and uses inappropriate photographs plagiarised from the Internet.
  • There is no mention of the geological vulnerability of the place, which was amongst the worst-affected in the earthquake-tsunami combination in 2004.
  • The plan has no financial details, no budgeting and no details of any Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).
  • West Bay on the western coast is secluded and difficult to reach with lack of good connectivity with Indian mainland and global cities.
• Ecological Concerns
  • It de-reserves 32% of the reserved forest.
    • 95% of Little Andaman is covered in forest and a large part of it is the pristine evergreen type.
    • Some 640 sq km of the island is Reserve Forest under the Indian Forest Act, 1927.
  • West Bay on the western coast is one of the most important nesting sites of the Giant Leatherback sea turtle.
  • The area is vulnerable to earthquakes and tsunamis.
  • Large diversion of forest land would cause obvious environmental loss leading to irreversible damage to the rich flora and fauna.
  • Habitats of various wild animals including endangered sea turtles would be affected.
• Sociological Concerns
  • The key factor is the presence of indigenous tribes and concerns for their welfare.
  • The plan de-notifies 138 sq km or 31% of the tribal reserve and suggests the relocation of tribes to other parts of the island.
    • Nearly 450 sq km is protected as the Onge Tribal Reserve.

Suggestions

• Keeping in mind the complex ecological, social and geological vulnerabilities, the area is needed to be protected from ecological, environmental and biodiversity points of view.
• The existing protected area network in Great Nicobar should be expanded for the protection of Megapode which is not covered under the area yet.
• More emphasis needs to be given to the official Shompen Policy of 2015 which noted that the welfare and integrity of these people should be given priority with regard to large-scale development proposals and these should be taken care of.
• There is a need to factor in issues of the geological volatility of these islands.
• The NITI Aayog vision document itself should be re-examined for the rationale behind it and the processes under it. It needs to include the EIA of the whole development plan.

Source: TH