The indigenous communities of the Andamans are a remarkable people who have an amazing understanding of the forests and oceans of their island home. Logging, clearing of forests for oil palm plantations and other developmental activities in Little Andaman clearly violate the Andaman and Nicobar Protection of Aboriginal Tribes Regulation (ANPATR). In 1957, this Regulation accorded the status of a Tribal Reserve to Little Andaman. But in 1972 and 1977 around 20,000 hectares were removed from the reserve to accommodate settlers from outside. However, a substantial part of the island - 52,000 hectares - continues to be a tribal reserve even today.
For the last 20 years, since logging operations commenced, the Andaman and Nicobar Forest Plantation and Development Corporation has been logging more timber from a larger area than permissible. Shockingly, the forestry operations have even spread to areas directly within the tribal reserve.
Such logging, which continues even today, is being undertaken without a Working Plan. This is in violation of the Supreme Court order of 1996 which clearly stated that '….the felling of trees in all areas is to remain suspended except in accordance with the Working Plans of the state governments, as approved by the Central Government.'
Apart from the attack on the Onges' forests, their cultural and social systems are also being eroded. The Onges face exploitation at the hands of the settlers, who have taken over their lands and resources. They are being forced to give up their nomadic hunter-gatherer life styles and their food habits have been altered to the point where they are becoming dependent on State and welfare agencies.
The logging operations have opened up the forests, encouraging encroachments into the tribal reserve and poachers who fear no authority. This crossfire has resulted in a drastic decline of many Schedule I species like the monitor lizard, the dugong and the endemic Andaman wild pig. These species are important food sources for the Onges, who exploited them sustainably. They are also an integral part of their culture and society. Little Andaman is a treasure trove of rare and threatened flora and fauna. Deforestation destroys this and in the process also ruins other ecosystems such as the coral reefs around the island that are being smothered by soil erosion.
With the destruction of the Onges and their ecosystem will be lost, their traditional knowledge bank, which scientists recently discovered, might hold the key to our battle against diseases such as malaria. In fact, recently, an attempt was made to patent a probable cure for cerebral malaria, using a plant source taken from the Onges.
The fate of the Onges and that of the forests that support them is interlinked. It is imperative that the present development and tribal policies in the islands be reviewed and sensitively changed.
The obvious first step is to halt all forestry operations in Little Andaman immediately. The fact that such operations are being conducted at a financial loss to the exchequer should make this an easy decision to take.
The Andaman Trunk Road (ATR) connecting Port Blair in South Andaman to Diglipur in the North has been responsible for the destruction of large tracts of virgin evergreen forests and has had severe adverse impact on the original inhabitants of these forests, the Jarawa tribe. There are now plans to double-lane the road, which has facilitated the movement of settlers from mainland India into these forests and surrounding areas, increasing manifold the interaction and conflict with the Jarawas. It is also one of the main causes for a devastating measles epidemic that recently affected the Jarawa community, resulting in several deaths.
Huge amounts of money (over 15 crores) and timber are used annually to maintain the road. The ATR is a perfect example of shortsighted planning, as it is not even the best way to travel in the Andamans. The traditional inhabitants of these islands have always used the sea route. When all the towns in the Andamans are located on the coast, it makes no sense to cut through the heart of the forest.
Take Action! Write a letter.
Kalpavriksh Environment Action Group along with the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) and the Society for Andaman and Nicobar Ecology (SANE) have filed a Public Interest Litigation in the Calcutta High Court in the matter. The case is presently being heard in Port Blair. Your financial support will help fight this crucial conservation battle.
To contribute money or resources, please contact:
Kalpavriksh,
Apt. 5, Sree Dutta Krupa,
908 Deccan Gymkhana, Pune - 411004
Tel./Fax: 020 354239.
Â
