An expert committee of the Union Environment Ministry has “deferred” clearance to a ₹100 crore proposal by the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation Limited (ANIIDCL) to develop an island resort, as well as put up “premium tents” and “tree houses”, on the grounds that it doesn’t account for the biodiversity of the islands’ coast.
The Centre has been working on a long-term plan to make several of the A&N islands more conducive to tourism. Last year the Home Ministry revived an Island Development Agency that would coordinate infrastructure projects to aid tourism in the A&N islands as well as Lakshadweep.
The ANIIDCL presented plans for the development of a premium Island Resort at Lalaji Bay, Long Island, A&N islands to an expert committee of the Environment Ministry tasked with evaluating infrastructure proposals along India’s coasts.
Last month the Environment Ministry approved a new set of rules for infrastructure development along coasts that, in general, gives greater flexibility to development and infrastructure projects.
“..The committee observed that as the area where the premium resort is proposed seems to be in an ecologically very fragile and biodiversity rich, a sub-committee shall undertake a site visit to assess the likely impact of tourism activities on the eco-system…the proposal in its present form is premature for its consideration for appraisal…and therefore deferred,” reads the minutes of the meeting conducted on January 25. The committee also expressed “concern” over the management of solid waste collection, treatment and disposal
There were similar concerns with the proposal to set up luxury tents. “About 5.4 metric tons (MT) /month of solid waste would be generated during operation phase, out of which 3.2 MT would be biodegradable and 2.2 MT non-biodegradable,” the minutes of the meeting outline.
The arrival of domestic tourists in A&N islands rose from over 2.02 lakh in 2011 to over 3.84 lakh in 2016, the inflow of foreign tourists was stagnant at around 15,000, according to the NITI Aayog in a presentation in August 2018.
When the latest CRZ rules were announced in December, environmentalists had raised concerns that the A&N—already vulnerable to soil erosion and threat of climate change—would be further susceptible to environmental challenges from infrastructure development along the coasts.
