NITI Aayog proposes construction of a mega financial-tourist complex on Little Andaman Island, placing at risk a fragile ecosystem and resultant habitat loss of the vulnerable Onge tribe and rare wildlife
A plan for the sustainable and holistic development of the 680 sq km, fragile Little Andaman Island in the Andaman and Nicobar group has raised the alarm among conservationists.
The ‘Sustainable Development of Little Andaman Island – Vision Document’, is the NITI Aayog’s proposal to leverage the strategic location and natural features of the island. This, the vision says, will be done by building a new greenfield coastal city there, that will be developed as a free trade zone and will compete with Singapore and Hong Kong.
The proposal is pivoted along three development anchors and zones.
Zone 1 — spread over 102 sq km along the east coast of Little Andaman — will be the financial district and medi city and will include an aerocity, and a tourism and hospital district….