‘Development’ at the cost of Nicobar Islands

The Central authorities’s plans in the Nicobar Islands, particularly land taken over for deforestation, will have an effect on the native Shompen tribe, which wants forests for its livelihood.
| Photo Credit: Public area

The well-known tree crusader and tree lover Shri ‘Vanajeevi’ Ramaiah who handed away final month was a agency believer that bushes are very important for our lives. This Padma Shri awardee planted over 1 crore saplings throughout Telangana, thus making us reside in unison with nature. But the present dispute between the Telangana State authorities and the University of Hyderabad about the space of Kancha Gachibowli would have dissatisfied Ramaiah. While the University needs the land as a inexperienced forested space, as a reservoir for 700 varieties of plant species, 200 varieties of birds, and 10-20 totally different mammals to be preserved as nature’s reward, the State authorities needs this space for know-how parks and associated functions. The ‘fight’ has reached the Supreme Court, and we await its choice. 

Unfortunately, a number of different States throughout India face the identical predicament, with land getting used for hi-tech cities, pharmaceutical zones, highways, quick trains, and airports. While all these are wanted for the public good, the query is: ought to these be at the cost of dropping greenery, flowery crops, and tribal individuals who subsist on these? Will this not be a betrayal of what Vanajeevi Ramaiah stood for?

We use the time period ‘betrayal’ drawing from the perspective of Professor Pankaj Sekhsaria, who has over three a long time of expertise on the Nicobar Islands, inspecting environmental and wildlife conservation alongside the intricate connections between society, atmosphere, science, and know-how. He has curated a e-book known as ‘The Great Nicobar Betrayal’, chronicling how the Central authorities has proposed to make use of the Nicobar Islands for a number of functions: a trans-shipment facility at the Galathea Bay for entry throughout the sea, constructing a world airport, and an influence plant for electrical energy. In addition, a greenfield township is deliberate for growing the inhabitants from the present 8,000 natives to about 3.5 lakh, by inviting folks from mainland India to come back and keep as residents for these tasks and to go to for holidays.  

The e-book has raised a number of vital points regarding the ecological splendour, with over 2,000 species of fauna and 811 species of flora in the islands, plus the future of the native folks. All of these can be affected by the ‘development’ deliberate by the Central authorities. Furthermore, as the land is taken over for deforestation, the destiny of the native Nicobarese tribe, significantly the weak tribal group Shompen (see image), which wants forests for livelihood, can be affected. Also, the large leatherback turtles, discovered each season in the seacoast, can be in peril when the seacoast is taken over for improvement. The Ministry of Tribal Affairs is but to reply this question.

But, in January 2023, a gaggle of former civil servants had written to the President of India, stating how the Indian authorities is out to destroy the pristine habitat, which is dwelling to varied uncommon and endemic species. They additional identified how the authorities will ‘compensate’ this loss by planting forests in Haryana, 2,600 km away from Nicobar!

India has, amongst the 200 nations throughout the globe, signed the Convention for Biological Diversity, which can ‘reduce to near zero the loss of areas of high biodiversity importance, including ecosystems of high ecological integrity’. And, as the ex-civil servants have requested, the President and the Government of India ought to instantly cease the graduation of harmful tasks in Great Nicobar.

For readers, the e-book ‘The Great Nicobar Betrayal’ is accessible from Amazon and The Hindu Bookstore: https://publications.thehindugroup.com/bookstore.