E-Paper
Amid stir, Lakshadweep floats bids on ecotourism
Thiruvananthapuram: Despite protests over new regulations and concerns expressed by many scientists, the Lakshadweep administration has floated global tenders for developing ecotourism projects and water villas in Minicoy, Suheli and Kadmat islands
Thiruvananthapuram: Despite protests over new regulations and concerns expressed by many scientists, the Lakshadweep administration has floated global tenders for developing ecotourism projects and water villas in Minicoy, Suheli and Kadmat islands.
The global tender was issued on July 31. The Save Lakshadweep Forum, comprising political parties and others opposing new regulations, has decided to step up its protests against the move.
The administration on Sunday issued a statement, saying that three premium water villa projects were identified in three islands and the last date of application is September 2. It said a survey by the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management and Niti Aayog has cleared the projects.
“Scientific approach adopted in each stage of the project will strike a clear balance between protection of fragile ecosystem of corals and need to improve livelihood opportunities of islanders,” said a statement from the collector’s office. It also said all mandatory clearances, including costal regulation zone norms and environment impact assessment report, are in final stages and all stakeholders will be taken into confidence.
Lakshadweep MP Mohammad Faisal, who has been opposing the regulations, said people are not against development but it should be executed with proper environmental clearance after clearing doubts and apprehensions of local people.
“We are against crass commercial development in the fragile group of islands. Many scientists have warned that rising sea level triggered by global warming may destabilise permanent structures and affect marine biology,” said UCK Thangal, a leader of the Save Lakshadweep Forum.
Earlier, a group of civil servants and many scientists, including herpetologist Romulus Whitaker, have written to President Ramanth Kovind, urging him to withdraw the draft Lakshadweep Development Authority Regulation (2021) that seeks to develop the island as a major tour destination undermining the region’s unique geography and ecology.
For more than three months, residents of the archipelago have been protesting against three draft regulations brought in by new administrator Praful Khoda Patel, saying they will affect the unique culture and tradition of the island. People are opposing the move to make the island a tourist destination, ban on cattle slaughter, two-child norm for local body members, liquor licence, goonda law and other new rules.
But BJP leaders from the island said some vested interests were stoking fire and provoking local people to stall the developmental projects in the island.
Earlier, the Kerala high court had stayed some of the new regulations, including demolition of houses and structures situated close to the sea. Many pleas are pending in the high court now. The local administration also slapped a sedition case against filmmaker and activist Aisha Sultana.
She landed in trouble after she made a remark in a TV panel discussion in early June that the union government’s decision to relax Covid-19 restrictions and appointment of new administrator Patel were a bio-weapon against the people of the archipelago. On June 11, Kavaratti police registered a case against her under sections 124 (A) (sedition) and 153 (B) (acts against national interests) of the Indian Penal Code.
The case was based on the complaint of Lakshadweep BJP president C Abdul Khadar Haji who said her words were in bad taste and hurt many. Though Sulatana later expressed regrets and withdrew her words, the union government took a strong position saying that her words were used widely by foreign media to portray the country in bad light. The Kerala high court had granted anticipatory bail to her but it refused to quash the case against her.
