Lakshadweep’s Plan To Acquire Bitra Island Faces Backlash From Residents

Friday, July 25, 2025

The Lakshadweep management has announced plans to get Bitra Island, portion of nan Union Territory, successful bid to transportation nan island’s onshore to applicable defense and strategical agencies of nan Indian government. This initiative, which intends to heighten nationalist security, has sparked important guidance from nan island’s residents, who reason that it will person a detrimental effect connected their livelihoods.

Reasons Behind nan Acquisition

The move to get Bitra Island is driven by nan island’s strategical location, its nationalist information importance, and nan logistical challenges that originate from maintaining civilian life connected nan island. The notification issued by nan Lakshadweep Department of Revenue connected July 11 stated that nan acquisition is intended to reside these issues and streamline nan region’s administration.

Bitra Island spans astir 91,700 quadrate meters (about 0.091 quadrate kilometers) and is location to astir 350 residents. The land is important for its ample lagoon area, measuring astir 45 quadrate kilometers, which is chiefly utilized by section fishermen from Bitra and neighboring islands.

Impact connected nan Local Fishing Community

Residents person voiced beardown guidance to nan acquisition, highlighting nan imaginable antagonistic effects it could person connected their superior root of income—fishing. The lagoon astir Bitra Island, which is abundant successful food type for illustration tuna and groupers, is simply a important assets not only for nan inhabitants of Bitra but besides for fishermen from different islands successful nan Lakshadweep archipelago.

According to a section resident, if nan scheme proceeds, they will return ineligible action. “We will conflict it successful tribunal if location is immoderate effort to displace us. Our livelihoods are wholly limited connected sportfishing and coconut plantations. There is besides a schoolhouse and wellness halfway connected nan island,” nan resident said. The sportfishing organization connected Bitra Island, comprising astir 350 individuals—including children—is profoundly connected to nan island’s ecosystem and resources, which they trust connected for sustenance and economical survival.

Concerns Over Unseen Developments

Some residents declare that building and subject infrastructure person already begun connected nan island, raising further concerns astir nan semipermanent effects of nan projected acquisition. A section schoolteacher alleged that caller radars and cottages person been built connected nan land without organization consent.

“Over 99% of nan island’s organization relies connected sportfishing for their income. We person already fixed up 8,800 quadrate meters of onshore for defense use, and building is nearing completion. In summation to this, location is plentifulness of authorities onshore disposable here,” said different resident, emphasizing nan increasing discontent among nan islanders regarding nan continued subject description .

Legal and Social Impact Assessment

The Lakshadweep administration’s determination is taxable to nan provisions of nan Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency successful Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013. As per nan requirements of this act, a Social Impact Assessment (SIA) was carried retired to measure nan imaginable effects of nan projected acquisition connected nan section community.

Despite nan ineligible model successful place, galore residents are concerned that their authorities and measurement of life are being overlooked successful favour of broader nationalist interests. The section organization has made it clear that they are prepared to situation nan acquisition successful tribunal if it goes ahead.

Environmental and Developmental Context

The determination to get Bitra Island is group against nan backdrop of broader biology and developmental concerns successful Lakshadweep. The region, consisting of 36 islands, is location to unsocial coral atolls and rich | biodiversity, making it a captious ecological hotspot. However, nan accelerated gait of development, including tourism and defense-related projects, has raised questions astir nan semipermanent sustainability of nan islands.

On July 4, nan Indian Ministry of Environment issued a notification extending nan validity of biology clearances for infrastructure projects nether nan Islands Protection Zone (IPZ) Notification, 2011. This determination applies not only to Lakshadweep but besides to nan Andaman and Nicobar Islands, enabling infrastructure projects to move guardant pinch much flexibility. However, critics reason that specified developments could lead to nan nonaccomplishment of captious biology and taste heritage, peculiarly for nan indigenous populations surviving successful these areas.

Lakshadweep astatine a Crossroads

The Lakshadweep archipelago, located disconnected India’s southwestern coast, faces a delicate equilibrium betwixt preserving its earthy situation and pursuing modernization and nationalist information interests. The indigenous population, mostly limited connected accepted livelihoods for illustration fishing, is now astatine consequence of displacement arsenic strategical projects summation momentum.

The acquisition of Bitra Island is conscionable 1 illustration of really nan intersection of defense needs, improvement pressures, and biology conservation presents challenges for some nan section organization and authorities authorities. With mounting guidance from residents and nan imaginable for ineligible battles, nan early of Bitra Island and its inhabitants remains uncertain.

In conclusion, while nan Lakshadweep administration’s determination to get Bitra Island is rooted successful nationalist information concerns, it has sparked important guidance from section residents. The islanders’ heavy ties to nan land, particularly nan lagoon area that supports their sportfishing livelihoods, make this a highly contentious issue. The government’s adjacent steps will beryllium important successful determining nan equilibrium betwixt strategical improvement and preserving nan taste and biology integrity of Lakshadweep.