New Delhi: There are plans afoot in the Andaman and Nicobar (A&N) Islands to develop sustainable ecotourism projects on the archipelago located off India’s eastern coast.
The A&N Islands Integrated Development Corp. Ltd, a government undertaking tasked with the “balanced and environment-friendly development of the territory”, invited Request for Qualification (RFQ) applications from developers this week.
The call is to undertake development, management and operations of four ecotourism projects — a resort each at Lalaji Bay Long Island and Shaheed Dweep, and tents at Smith Island (to also have tree houses) and Aves Island.
Similar steps taken earlier
However, this isn’t the first time such a step has been taken.
Underlining how tenders for these projects have been called for in the past, Samit Sawhny, managing director of Barefoot resort in the islands, said they probably didn’t get takers for these earlier.
“Until the turn of the century, beyond Port Blair was a no-go zone. After the 2004 tsunami, the central government decided to develop ecotourism here. All the required boxes were ticked in the first policy document that came out around 2007. Ever since then, there has been a downward trend in terms of ensuring that the terms of the tender support the goal of sustainable tourism,” he told ThePrint.
Aves Island, for instance, is a 38 acre island. The government owns five acres of this, which has been put up for tender. The remaining 33 acres are owned by a cooperative society.
According to sources, the administration has dissolved the society, revoked its permission to run a tourism project on the site and is taking over ownership of their land, presumably in an effort to tender it out to a 5-star chain. The matter is in the Supreme Court currently.
Arguing how ecotourism is the way forward in sustainably harnessing tourism in such areas, Lt Gen Bhopinder Singh (Retd), former Lieutenant Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Puducherry, said, “While the framing of policies, mechanisms and responsibilities is the government’s or administration’s task, the deliberate involvement, inclusion and co-option of the local communities, non-governmental organisations and local businesses in tandem, is necessary.”
The International Ecotourism Society describes ecotourism as “responsible travel to natural areas that conserve the environment, sustains the well-being of the local people, and involves interpretation and education”.
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Concerns over ecotourism
The Andaman & Nicobar Islands — a group of 572 islands and islets — depend on tourism to sustain their economy. Known for their clear blue waters, white sand beaches and coral reefs, the islands are a favourite among tourists.
However, many are of the opinion that ecotourism as a term has been repeatedly misappropriated.
Among them is Kanchi Kohli, a researcher working on environment, forest and biodiversity governance in India at the Centre for Policy Research, who argues that “these tenders have set in motion a call for investments, but are not preceded by any assessment of how this will increase the vulnerability of already fragile island ecosystems”.
The islands’ tourism policy, however, restricts tourists from visiting any of the areas inhabited by the island’s indigenous tribes that have lived here for many millennia. Even so, tourism expansion plans in the islands have always evoked concerns about their impact on the local ecology as well as the rights of the indigenous peoples.
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Latest proposals
The proposed new four projects will be maintained through a Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Transfer model on a public-private partnership basis. The bidding process is two-fold. Six applicants will first be shortlisted from the applications received in response to the RFQ, and a bidding process will ensue.
“A pre-qualified applicant can bid for not more than two projects out of the four projects in Long, Aves, Smith and Shaheed Island for which separate RFQs have been invited,” the RFQ reads.
Sawhny explained how the bidding template has become so generic that only 5-star chains or those who are able to build to spec for 5-star chains are being invited to bid.
He said, “According to me, the problem is that instead of trying to woo sensitive developers to the island, the government is wooing players with deep pockets as a primary qualification criteria, who are not being examined on their credentials on sustainable development.”
He added, “A primary tenet of sustainable development, especially in small island economies, is to ensure local participation and benefit. However, all of the local players have been written out of the qualification process, as the hurdles to qualification are too high. Further, the tender documents do not go far enough to ensure local populations benefit significantly through employment and ancillary opportunities.”
The A&N plans come on the heels of a massive controversy that has erupted in another island UT, Lakshadweep, over proposed reforms to develop the archipelago as an ecotourism destination.
At the centre of the row is proposed legislation that will allow the administration to take over any land for public projects.
‘Wealth of knowledge to be tapped’
With an increase in tourism, a minimal impact on the UT’s environment and society is sought.
Despite being disconnected from the mainland, the islands have not been spared during the Covid pandemic. It has recorded 7,269 total cases and 126 deaths so far. The archipelago has extended its lockdown up to 21 June with some relaxations.
Highlighting the social and ecological uniqueness of the A&N islands and how little we know about the extent of damage, Kohli emphasised, “There is a wealth of ecological and social science knowledge that needs to be tapped into planning and designing interventions in areas which are little understood by mainland logic”.
Manish Chandi, a social ecologist and conservationist who has worked in Andaman and Nicobar for two decades, said the focus needs to shift from theoretical and bookish knowledge to a more pragmatic approach.
“Just setting up or providing access for investment and functionality of resorts is not enough. Considering appropriate investment to fill the gaps and build long term foundations for tourism and sustenance of natural resources that attract tourists is required,” he told ThePrint.
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