Should Govt Redevelop Its Virgin Islands?

Foreigners who travel to India have the Taj Mahal on top of their itinerary. After all, India is famous for this tall white-marble architectural wonder built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in the 17th century.

“But, we expect the traveller to remain blindfolded and not see squalor around the city; we just expect them to jump to the Taj Mahal, ignoring everything bad that surrounds the city of Agra,” says Abha Narain Lambah, a conservation architect and head of Abha Narain Lambah Associates.

But, Agra's filth is no deterrent for Taj lovers. According to the official site, www.tajmahal.gov.in, about seven to eight million people visit the Taj annually, which includes 0.8 million foreigners. Imagine the increase in the footfalls if the Uttar Pradesh government had done a better job in keeping the streets of Agra clean.

It is in this context, we should examine the merits of a proposal under which the Centre is planning to carry out the holistic development of at least 10 islands in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep.

According to the media, planning body NITI Aayog has called a high-level meeting to be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss a plan to develop India's islands to tap their economic and tourism potential. In the first phase, the department has picked Smith Island, Ross Island, Avis Island and Long Island from Andaman & Nicobar, and Bangaram, Thinnakara, Suheli, Cheriyam and Minicoy from Lakshadweep for their “holistic development”.

When developed, these islands could, undoubtedly, help the government generate good revenue because the two union territories are pristine locations and already attract a large number of tourists round the year. However, if not carried out with caution and restraint, an increased construction and development work may end up fiddling with the very reason these Indian islands are admired for --- their scenic beauty and peaceful environs.

Ironic as it may look, the Agra example is proof enough that tourists only go to Agra to visit the Taj Mahal (they even ignore the city's squalor in this case) . The development work on the islands must be carried out keeping these factors in mind.