Residents of Lakshadweep are protesting the Union Territory administration's attempt to acquire 101,020 square meters of private land on Agatti Island for tourism and other projects, claiming it bypasses mandatory approvals from gram sabhas and landowners. The notification, issued on January 5, states that consent from gram sabhas and landowners is not mandatory, despite plans for a social impact assessment. Locals have raised alarms over potential environmental damage to the fragile coral ecosystem.
Residents of Lakshadweep are protesting the Union Territory administration's attempt to acquire 101,020 square meters of private land on Agatti Island for tourism and other projects, on grounds that it violates mandatory approvals from gram sabhas and landowners as required by law. The land in question amounts to a little over 3% of Agatti's total area. The notification was issued by Lakshadweep collector Shivam Chandra on January 5, stating that while a social impact assessment will align with the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, consent from 'gram sabhas and/or landowners' is 'not mandatory'.
Islanders grew concerned upon discovering the notification days after its issuance. On February 1, six residents from Agatti sent a memorandum—seen by Hindustan Times—to the minister of tribal affairs, the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes, and the advisor to the Lakshadweep administrator. The memorandum describes it as 'shocking' that consent from gram sabhas and/or landowners is not mandatory. It highlights that over the last five years, the administration has proposed several projects to acquire large swathes of tribal land holdings, which are 'not justifiable and harmful to the fragile environment of our small coral islands' and in 'clear violation of the Environment Protection Regulations, guidelines and approved Integrated Island Management Plan (IIMP)'.
The memorandum warns: 'The unique marine environment, the coral island, lagoon water body and the beautiful nature of Lakshadweep is the most important aspect making it a great destination. Hence protection/conservation of nature and the environment is very important for sustainable tourism projects. More and more concrete roads along the beach line will only damage the natural beauty and quite serene and tranquil atmosphere of Agatti Island.' It notes that an existing road runs 50-100 meters from the island's 15-km coastline, yet the administration plans a 12-meter-wide concrete road along the coast in the CRZ/No Development Zone.
Lakshadweep collector Shivam Chandra did not respond to calls or messages from Hindustan Times. The office of tribal affairs minister Jual Oram has yet to reply. Lakshadweep comprises 36 islands, of which only 10 are inhabited, with a total land area of 32 square km and a lagoon of 4,200 square km; the majority of the population belongs to Scheduled Tribes. In 2024, Hindustan Times, in collaboration with the Pulitzer Center, published a series on how Lakshadweep's coral reefs have been battered by the climate crisis, including severe marine heatwaves since October 2023. The reports detailed threats from climate change alongside mega tourism and infrastructure plans to the islands' fragile balance and local lives. Lakshadweep saw severe coral bleaching in 2024, with record heat stress in the Laccadive Sea and southeast India, per Derek P. Manzello of NOAA Coral Reef Watch.