{"id":14522,"date":"2021-03-24T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-03-24T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/current_affairs\/uncategorized\/24-03-2021\/development-plan-for-little-andaman\/"},"modified":"2021-03-24T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2021-03-24T00:00:00","slug":"development-plan-for-little-andaman","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/24-03-2021\/development-plan-for-little-andaman","title":{"rendered":"Development Plan for Little Andaman"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>In News<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Recently, land has been sanctioned for <strong>Phase I <\/strong>of the \u2018<strong>Sustainable Development of Little Andaman Island<\/strong>\u2019.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>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.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>About the Development Vision<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>It has been piloted by the<strong> NITI Aayog<\/strong> to leverage the<strong> strategic location<\/strong> and <strong>natural features<\/strong> of the island and also for the <strong>holistic and sustainable vision<\/strong> for Great Nicobar.<\/li>\n<li>Under it, a <strong>new greenfield coastal city<\/strong> will be developed there as an FTZ, competing with Singapore and Hong Kong.<\/li>\n<li>The proposal is pivoted along with <strong>three development zones<\/strong>.\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Zone 1:<\/strong> 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.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Zone 2:<\/strong> 85 sq km of a pristine forest; leisure zone; film city; a residential district and a tourism Special Economic Zone (SEZ).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Zone 3:<\/strong> 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.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Infrastructural Developments<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Various entertainment zones along with an automated drone delivery system and cure institutions.<\/li>\n<li>International airport capable of handling all types of aircraft.<\/li>\n<li>Expansion of the only jetty on the island and development of a marina.<\/li>\n<li>Construction of a greenfield ring road supplemented by a mass rapid transit network.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>The <strong>Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation <\/strong>(ANIIDCO) has been made the nodal agency.<\/li>\n<li>In January 2021, the <strong>Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife<\/strong> (NBWL) denotified the entire <strong>Galathea Bay Wildlife Sanctuary<\/strong> to allow for the port there and an <strong>Environment Ministry Expert Committee<\/strong> approved a \u201c<strong>zero extent<\/strong>\u201d <strong>Ecologically Sensitive Zone<\/strong> (ESZ) for the Galathea National Park to allow the use of land.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<table border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"0\" style=\"width:624px\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"vertical-align:top; width:468.0pt\">\n<p><strong>Galathea Bay Wildlife Sanctuary<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The bay was declared a<strong> wildlife sanctuary in 1997<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>It is part of <strong>UNESCO World Heritage Site<\/strong> and has <strong>one of the best-preserved tropical rainforests<\/strong> in the world.<\/li>\n<li>It is home to<strong> rare and endemic fauna<\/strong> such as the Nicobar wild pig, Nicobar tree shrew, the Great Nicobar crested serpent eagle, Nicobar paradise flycatcher and the Nicobar megapode (globally <strong>endangered <\/strong>bird unique to the Nicobars).<\/li>\n<li>The beaches are <strong>global nesting sites of the Giant leatherback <\/strong>(globally <strong>endangered<\/strong>).<\/li>\n<li>India&#8217;s<strong> National Marine Turtle Action Plan <\/strong>has listed <strong>Galathea Bay <\/strong>as one of the \u2018<strong>Important Coastal and Marine Biodiversity Areas<\/strong>\u2019 and \u2018<strong>Important Marine Turtle Habitats<\/strong>\u2019 in the country.<\/li>\n<li>It is also included in the Coastal<strong> Regulation Zone <\/strong>(CRZ)-<strong>I<\/strong>, the zone with <strong>maximum protection<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>It is also home to <strong>Shompen, an indigenous hunter-gatherer nomadic community<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cfstatic.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/file_library\/mix_content\/444287823779399400_image.png\" style=\"height:403px; margin-left:50px; margin-right:50px; width:303px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0(Image Courtesy: <a href=\"https:\/\/geographyandyou.com\/galathea-national-park\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Geography and You<\/a>)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>Significance<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Enhance Connectivity<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>The project will lead to<strong> improved air and sea connectivity<\/strong> leading to the holistic development of the island.<\/li>\n<li>It will also <strong>ensure digital connectivity o<\/strong>f the island with Port Blair and other islands.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Economical Benefits<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Creation of such world class infrastructure will <strong>require manpower at all levels<\/strong> and hence create numerous <strong>job opportunities<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>The infrastructure development will lead to<strong> high-end ecotourism<\/strong> which in turn would provide the country with <strong>increased revenues<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Social Development<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>The <strong>local communities<\/strong> will be able to <strong>avail better health, education and connectivity<\/strong> facilities. Most of them work as labourers or do menial jobs in high-end resorts, with very less scope of development.<\/li>\n<li>The <strong>increased inflow and outflow<\/strong> of people will lead to <strong>cultural exchanges<\/strong> and will also lead to<strong> demographic development<\/strong> of the island.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Geopolitical and Strategic Benefits<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Great Nicobar Island is <strong>only about 90 km away from the western tip of the Malacca Strait<\/strong>, which is an important shipping route between the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea.\n<ul>\n<li>India\u2019s<strong> only tri-service command<\/strong> <strong>is established<\/strong> in Andaman and Nicobar <strong>at the entrance to the Malacca Strait<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>The overall development will lead to <strong>better logistics<\/strong> and <strong>continuous surveillance <\/strong>on the marine activities.<\/li>\n<li>It will help <strong>India secure its territory and protect its trade routes<\/strong> even as China aims to expand its naval reach.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Concerns Highlighted<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Structural Concerns<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>The vision document has <strong>maps without explanations <\/strong>and <strong>uses inappropriate photographs<\/strong> <strong>plagiarised <\/strong>from the Internet.<\/li>\n<li>There is<strong> no mention of the geological vulnerability <\/strong>of the place, which was amongst the worst-affected in the <strong>earthquake-tsunami combination in 2004<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>The plan has <strong>no financial details<\/strong>, <strong>no budgeting<\/strong> and no details of any <strong>Environmental Impact Assessment<\/strong> (EIA).<\/li>\n<li>West Bay on the western coast is <strong>secluded and difficult to reach<\/strong> with <strong>lack of good connectivity<\/strong> with Indian mainland and global cities.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Ecological Concerns<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>It <strong>de-reserves 32% of the reserved forest<\/strong>.\n<ul>\n<li>95% of Little Andaman is covered in forest and a large part of it is the pristine evergreen type.<\/li>\n<li>Some 640 sq km of the island is Reserve Forest under the <strong>Indian Forest Act, 1927<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>West Bay<\/strong> on the western coast is one of the most important<strong> nesting sites of the Giant Leatherback sea turtle<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>The area is <strong>vulnerable to earthquakes and tsunamis<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Large diversion of forest land would cause <strong>obvious environmental loss <\/strong>leading to<strong> irreversible damage<\/strong> to the rich flora and fauna.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Habitats<\/strong> of various wild animals including endangered sea turtles would be <strong>affected<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Sociological Concerns<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>The key factor is the <strong>presence of indigenous tribes<\/strong> and concerns for their welfare.<\/li>\n<li>The plan<strong> de-notifies 138 sq km or 31% of the tribal reserve<\/strong> and suggests the relocation of tribes to other parts of the island.\n<ul>\n<li>Nearly 450 sq km is protected as the <strong>Onge Tribal Reserve<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Suggestions<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Keeping in mind the <strong>complex ecological, social and geological vulnerabilities<\/strong>, the area is needed to be <strong>protected from ecological, environmental and biodiversity points of view<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>The existing <strong>protected area network in Great Nicobar should be expanded for the protection of Megapode<\/strong> which is not covered under the area yet.<\/li>\n<li><strong>More emphasis<\/strong> needs to be given to the official <strong>Shompen Policy of 2015<\/strong> which noted that the<strong> welfare and integrity of these people should be given priority<\/strong> with regard to large-scale development proposals and these should be taken care of.<\/li>\n<li>There is a need to<strong> factor in issues of the geological volatility <\/strong>of these islands.<\/li>\n<li>The <strong>NITI Aayog vision document itself should be re-examined<\/strong> for the rationale behind it and the processes under it. It <strong>needs to include the EIA<\/strong> of the whole development plan.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/sci-tech\/energy-and-environment\/niti-aayog-vision-for-great-nicobar-ignores-tribal-ecological-concerns\/article34120093.ece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">TH<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In News Recently, land has been sanctioned for Phase I of the \u2018Sustainable Development of Little Andaman Island\u2019. 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 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14523,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[36,61,60,31,30,26],"class_list":["post-14522","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-current-affairs","tag-conservation","tag-environmental-impact-assessment","tag-environmental-pollution-degradation","tag-government-policies-interventions","tag-gs-2","tag-gs-3"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2023\/07\/41841166268277current-affairs.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14522","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14522"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14522\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14523"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14522"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14522"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14522"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}