>
> "De-reserve the Reserved forest if required” said a senior citizen.


That's just what the islands need -- an international airport, preferably in
Jarawa territory.

Has anybody asked the islanders if they need an international airport? If
not, why is one being foisted on them? If they do want it, do they assume an
international airport can be built on several thousand hectares of revenue
land in South Andaman that's magically devoid of human habitation?

At the risk of meddling, as we are so often accused of doing, in the
internal matters of the sovereign islands of Andaman & Nicobar, dare one ask
if a little thing like the plans for an international airport were kept
under wraps until now, only to be slyly revealed in footnotes of the Draft
Master Plan; whether the islanders were actually consulted on whether they
need the thing or whether it was something dreamed up by the scholars of
Annamalai University and the mandarins of the A&N Administration in
consultation with the tourism industry?

If the people knew about the airport, wanted it, and yet were "furious to
know" that three villages would need to be leveled for the purpose, it would
appear to be a severe case of NIMBY.

Sajan

On Sun, Jul 5, 2009 at 7:25 AM, Pankaj Sekhsaria <psekhsaria@...>wrote:

> Mayhem in Port Blair over Draft Master Plan
> http://www.andamansheekha.com/
>
> Port Blair, July 03: Responding to a report published by a section of
> local media to warn general public about the ‘traps’ laid by Andaman PWD
> in the most controversial ‘Draft Master Plan’ of Port Blair city,
> hundreds of people today reached B R Ambedkar Auditorium to lodge their
> protest.
>
> An open House Meeting for discussion on the provisions of the Draft
> Master Plan for Port Blair Planning Area was organized today at Dr. B.
> R. Ambedkar Auditorium.
>
> People agitated over the content of Draft Master Plan today
> attended the said meeting and raised their voice against the Draft
> Master Plan.
>
> People could be seen shouting against the Administration for the
> move to vacate more than 31 villages of South Andaman, that too without
> even consulting with general public and public leaders. Many were
> furious to know that the Andaman and Nicobar Administration is planning
> to vacate three villages just to construct an international airport.
>
> Many, who had gone through the complete version of Draft Master
> Plan today alleged that the Draft Master Plan was prepared without any
> background study and have no value. According to information received
> here the draft master plan was prepared by Annamalai University and is
> full of blunders.
>
> The Draft Master plan mentions that cleaning of city is being
> carried out in Port Blair in traditional manner (which is wrong). The
> Draft Master Plan also says that Andaman and Nicobar Islands have
> Pradesh Council but actually we have Zilla Parishads with nearly 786 PRI
> members. People attending the meeting today expressed their
> dissatisfaction over the poor study conducted by the Annamalai
> University for preparing the Draft Master Plan and demanded to scrap the
> same.
>
> Reacting to the move of Administration to vacate 31 villages of
> South Andaman to execute the Master Plan of Port Blair city, Islanders
> today said that at any cost they won’t leave their land. Andaman and
> Nicobar Islands have only 14 percent revenue land and rest 86 percent of
> land is reserved forest. “Don’t dare to touch Revenue Land. De-reserve
> the Reserved forest if required” said a senior citizen. More than 300
> people attended today’s open House Meeting.
>
> More. Add
> Comments..
>
>
>
>
>
>
> --
> ---
> http://pankaj-atcrossroads.blogspot.com
> http://www.indianaturewatch.net/view_cat.php?tag=Pankaj+Sekhsaria
> http://3fotosaday.blogspot.com/
>
> C/o Kalpavriksh
> Apt. 5, Sri Dutta Krupa,
> 908 Deccan Gym
> Pune 411004
> India
> Tel: 020 25654239
> Mob: 09423009933
> Email: psekhsaria@...
>
>
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>
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