GREAT NICOBAR PROJECT: ENVIRONMENT
NEWS: Empower
the guardians of the earth, do not rob them
WHAT’S IN THE NEWS?
The ₹72,000-crore infrastructure project on Great
Nicobar, including an international cruise terminal and shipbreaking yard, has
raised concerns over its potential impact on the indigenous Shompens and
Nicobarese tribes, known for their distinct lifestyles and cultural practices.
This development threatens their ecological and socio-cultural balance, leading
to debates on sustainable development versus tribal rights.
1. Overview of the Project
- Scale
and Investment: ₹72,000-crore infrastructure project.
- Components:
International cruise terminal, shipbreaking yard, township, and airport.
- Purpose:
Economic development and strategic significance.
2. Concerns About Indigenous Tribes
- Semi-nomadic,
isolated tribe with minimal outside contact.
- Lifestyle:
Subsistence hunting and gathering in forests.
- Vulnerabilities:
Dependence on forests for survival and risks from displacement and loss
of resources.
- Legal
Protection: Safeguarded under India’s Tribal Rights Acts.
- Largest
indigenous group in the Nicobar Islands.
- Lifestyle:
Agriculturists cultivating coconuts, rice; maritime culture.
- Vulnerabilities:
Modernization and infrastructure projects impacting traditional practices
and governance systems.
3. Ecological Impact
- Deforestation: Loss
of forest cover affecting biodiversity.
- Coastal
Ecosystems: Damage to marine habitats and fisheries due to
construction.
4. Legal and Ethical Issues
- Constitutional
Safeguards: Tribes are protected under the Indian
Constitution.
- Conflict:
Balancing development with constitutional commitments to protect
vulnerable groups.
5. Broader Implications
- Cultural
Erosion: Loss of indigenous traditions and knowledge.
- Sustainable
Development: Debate over long-term environmental and social
costs.
Other Tribes of the Andaman Islands
1. Great Andamanese
- Description: Once
the largest tribal group in the Andamans, their population has
significantly declined due to diseases, displacement, and interaction with
settlers.
- Lifestyle:
Originally hunter-gatherers, they now live in government settlements with
limited traditional practices.
- Language: Great
Andamanese language is almost extinct, replaced by Hindi among many
members.
- Location:
Strait Island (government-assigned settlement).
2. Jarawas
- Description: A
semi-nomadic tribe that continues to resist extensive interaction with the
outside world.
- Lifestyle:
Hunter-gatherers relying on forest and coastal resources.
- Population:
Approximately 400 (estimated).
- Legal
Protection: Protected under the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Protection
of Aboriginal Tribes) Regulation, 1956.
- Challenges:
Encroachment on their territory and impact of the Andaman Trunk Road
(ATR).
3. Onges
- Description: One
of the most endangered tribes of the Andaman Islands.
- Lifestyle:
Semi-nomadic hunter-gatherers dependent on forest and coastal resources.
- Location:
Dugong Creek in Little Andaman.
- Population: Less
than 100 individuals.
- Key
Concerns: Loss of habitat due to deforestation and
developmental activities.
4. Sentinalese
- Description: The
most isolated tribe, residing on North Sentinel Island.
- Lifestyle:
Strictly hunter-gatherers; rely on fishing and gathering wild fruits.
- Contact: They
avoid and resist all external contact.
- Legal
Protection: Entry to North Sentinel Island is strictly
prohibited under Indian law.
Source: https://epaper.thehindu.com/ccidist-ws/th/th_delhi/issues/114696/OPS/GT8DQFUCI.1+GJ9DQHHBV.1.html