SRIDHAR D IYER
The thought of an island conjures up an attractive, serene piece of land, surrounded by water, where one can retreat to relax. Being cut-off from the mainland, an island is an ideal getaway place from the daily hustle-bustle of life.
Islands are natural land formations that can be created through volcanic eruptions, such as those seen in Reunion and Hawaii, as well as through the accumulation of sand in rivers, like in the Sundarbans, and in offshore areas.
Islands can take various forms, such as atolls found in coral-rich regions like the Maldives, or landmasses formed through the breaking and erosion of mainland areas due to seismic activity and faulting, as seen in the Seychelles. As a result of their formation, islands boast distinctive environmental characteristics and are home to unique plant and animal species.
ISLANDS OF GOA
Though Goa is the smallest Indian state, it has several islands of variable dimensions. In 2014, the Goa State Biodiversity Board reported more than 40 estuarine, 8 marine and about 90 riverine islands, which are a result of the accumulation of sand midstream of rivers.
Such riverine islands are formed temporarily and disappear with time due to erosion. But, as per the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NSCSM), there are 43 islands – 2 inhabited, 29 uninhabited and 12 uncertain.
Some of the well-known peopled islands are Divar (18 sq km), Chorao, St Estevam (8 sq km), Cumbarjua (2 sq km), Akhada, Vanxim, St Jacinto and Pequeno. The others are Bat, Butterfly, Anjediva and Grand Island.
Goa’s environment department admitted that there were no management plans for the islands.
St Jacinto Island was connected by a tombolo (naturally formed narrow stretch of sand and rocks) to the mainland, but a few years back a bridge was built. The riverine islands are less than 1 sq km.
Besides being idyllic, scenic and fringed by mangroves, these islands are unique in their own way and endowed with exotic biodiversity and historical sites.
For example, the famous Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary is on Chorao (Chodan) Island. Khandola, on the way to Amona, has two idols of Lord Ganesh, a new and an ancient one. The latter was moved from Divar Island due to fear of an attack by the Portuguese rulers.
The islands have schools, temples and churches and the people are engaged in fishing, farming, horticulture, teaching, etc.
Essential amenities like medical facilities, regular ferry, internet connectivity and postal services could be improved instead of building infrastructure related to marine services.
Although islanders come to the mainland for studies, work, entertainment and so on, most are against constructing bridges which could help ease their lives. They fear the influx of people, especially boisterous tourists.
ISLAND MANAGEMENT PLAN
In October 2023, the committee constituted by the principal bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) instructed the coastal states to design and revise their integrated island management plans.
Goa's environment department admitted to having no management plans for the islands, despite the need for sustainable development, economic diversification, ecosystem preservation, and consideration of risks such as sea-level rise.
BONE OF CONTENTION: To develop or not to develop
This September, the Goa government asked the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras, to study the islands and identify one for a resort, similar to the Sentosa Island in Singapore, which is a major tourist attraction.
The IIT would also examine the viability of having a network of green hydrogen energy supply to the marine sector, a passenger terminal, a loading crane and a submarine project on some of the islands.
These ventures may result in jobs and some economic prosperity. But considering the size of the islands, much of this may not be practical. Under the guise of the above projects, there could be cases of land grab, growth of concrete jungles, shortage of power and water and sanitation issues.
There might be loss of flora and fauna in the mangrove habitations and the islands’ shorelines would fluctuate due to sand accretion/erosion, as in the Sundarbans. In short, the islands’ ecology and uniqueness would be at stake.
Essential amenities like medical facilities, regular ferry, internet connectivity and postal services could be improved. Infrastructure related to marine services could be built near the Mormugao Port.
Let the islanders be surrounded by tranquillity and quiet instead of being saddled by the weight of unwanted expansions. And let us not misuse the islands under the pretext of development.