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Sustainable Development of Little Andaman Island Vision Document by NITI Aayog for the sustainable and holistic development of the 680 sq km,fragile Little Andaman Island in the Andaman and Nicobar island group has raised alarm among conservationists.

Aim

Transforming the island into a mega financial-tourist destination rivaling the likes of Hong Kong and Singapore.

Importance of A&N Islands

• The A&N Islands are at the intersection of the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea, and further to the Pacific Ocean, an important fulcrum of the strategic concept of the Indo-Pacific.
  
• In the past, the focus has been on developing military infrastructure and securing the islands, resulting in the establishment of India’s only tri-services command.
  
• The economic potential of the islands, however, has largely remained untapped

Objective of new plan

• To utilize the strategic location of the island for India’s security in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
• To provide better connectivity and infrastructure to the island, enhancing India’s military and naval strength around the islands.

Factors stopping from developing these (islands) 

• Lack of good connectivity with the Indian mainland and global cities
• Fragile biodiversity and natural ecosystems: 95% of Little Andaman is covered in a pristine evergreen forest. Some 640 sq. km of the island is Reserve Forest under the Indian Forest Act.
• Certain notifications from the Supreme Court of India also pose an impediment to development.
• Another key factor is the “presence of indigenous tribes and concerns for their welfare”: nearly 450 sq. km of the forest is protected as the Onge Tribal Reserve, creating a unique and rare socio-ecological-historical complex of high importance.

Source: The Hindu