“One of the main concerns that we are flagging is that there is no scope for consultation with the panchayat on these developments,” said Misbah Ashiyoda, president of Lakshadweep ST welfare association, Kavaratti.
“If lagoons are given over to private corporations, then how will fishermen access these areas? In a way we are being told that these areas are beyond our reach now. Fishermen are already suffering because they cannot go to the Bangaram lagoon,” said BA Jaleel (75), former deputy collector, Agatti.
Some other are quite certain that lagoon villas are impractical and will not last. “The monsoon has become unpredictable. These villas will not last in the monsoon. One big wave can demolish everything,” said P Abu Salem (72), a retired government school teacher.
The concerns of islanders have mounted since the administration advertised it plans promote Maldives-like tourism in Lakshadweep.
These concerns began when in 2021, the Administration issued the draft Lakshadweep Development Authority Regulation (LDAR) 2021 to change land ownership in the Union territory to facilitate development and tourism. It empowered the administration to constitute planning and development authorities for the development of any area identified as having “bad layout or obsolete development”.
In response to an RTI filed by HT, the home ministry said that LDAR 2021 was not presently under consideration. It said that the Lakshadweep Town and Country Planning, 2024, is under consultation with stakeholder department and ministries.