NITI Aayog’s proposal to build tourism villas in Andaman-Nicobar and Lakshadweep archipelagos

NITI Aayog’s proposal to build tourism villas in Andaman-Nicobar and Lakshadweep archipelagos

NITI Aayog asked the Andaman and Nicobar administration to work with hotel chains. The government body wanted these hotel chains to design a water villa on the lines of one that is available in the Maldives. It’s good news for people who travel to islands. They can experience life in a water villa soon. These water villas are eco-friendly, made out of bamboo, and powered by solar energy.

Advantages of build tourism villas

There is a lack of coastal tourist hubs in India. Creating such campsites could enhance the country’s domestic tourism. It would attract a lot of people to ask their friends to visit these plains, which will ultimately help in creating jobs in the tourism sector.

The NITI Aayog’s recent proposal to build tourism resorts or villas in other words hotels across the country for foreign tourists, has already got huge positive responses. It was proposed that these will be built in a bid to enhance tourism in India which will necessarily lead to social development.

The proposed tourism project of NITI Aayog will help in promoting the tourism prospects in the region, which will, in turn, create employment opportunities and income generation for the locals.

There is a need of other transport modes to move around in the archipelago. Another advantage of this project is it will enhance inter-islands connectivity between the islands which will increase inter-island tourism.

Along with the villas, infrastructure would be developed, including the building of new airports, introduction of sea planes to these destinations and strengthening helicopter services as well as floating jetties to ensure smooth accessibility. There would be increased maritime and international trade with exports of products made in the islands.

The new development, if implemented, would help the government to get the maximum out of tourism while ensuring ecological balance. This would also ensure that it is able to create conditions so that while on one hand, tourists are drawn to these destinations for the breathtaking views and other natural beauties, they are also not exposed to ecological degradation and adverse effects on human health.

Issues related to the proposal of building tourism villas

The ecological impact of such a project on the lagoons and coral reefs is likely to be far more complex and damaging. A detailed study of potential damage to the area’s ecosystem in general, in particular its corals, and further, the possible indirect effects of the construction works, can be formulated by inviting experts in neurology and marine biology from leading international universities, associations, environmental protection groups and NGOs well known for their high professional standards.

Marine life is already threatened in the Andamans. We have witnessed how tourism projects (for instance, resorts) impact marine life in their vicinity. The concentration of bioluminescent plankton of Radhanagar is very high because there is no light pollution which may be one reason why it attracts tourists but will also make this area a perfect place for development. So far we have seen that for every tourist destination development has led to massive pollution and destruction of marine life or pristine forestland.

The tourism villas will add to environmental pollution. These would not own proper waste management facilities. They are expected to generate waste amounting to tons that a small island like Gili cannot dispose of waste properly. This has a potential harm on marine life. It also impacts fish especially in the coral reef that's endangered by plastic pollution.

Coral bleaching is a phenomenon which has affected the reef system adversely. The world’s coral reefs are endangered and suffer from stress due to anthropological reasons related to human behaviour. With human concentration and tourism in the area, it would disturb local coral species and would destroy their ecology.

Tourism is one of the fastest growing industries in the world today. In order to accommodate the increased number of tourists there is a need to build more hotels and other service facilities. While building these service facilities can create more gainful employment opportunities for people, they also have the potential to destroy serene beauty of nature and give rise to serious effects on environment.