u/Andamaneee

Andaman & Nicobar: Development for whom?

I’m an islander, and I’m not against development or India’s strategic interests. But after decades of Central funding and projects worth thousands of crores, I think we deserve to ask:

Where is the improvement in everyday island life?

₹75,000 crore proposed for Great Nicobar.

₹1,000 crore submarine OFC.

₹710 crore airport terminal.

Major investments in ports, tourism, fisheries, power and urban infrastructure and so on.

Yet we still face expensive airfares, unreliable connectivity, power issues, limited healthcare and education, weak inter-island transport, limited employment opportunities and an underdeveloped capital city.

And now we are talking about transforming Great Nicobar despite its Seismic Zone V and extreme ecological sensitivity.

I don't oppose development. I oppose development being measured only by how many crores are spent.

The real question is:

How much of this investment has actually improved the lives of the people who live here?

Andaman is not just a strategic asset on India's map.

It is our home.

Save Andaman and Nicobar Islands 🏝 ♥️

Andaman & Nicobar: Development for whom?

I’m an islander, and I’m not against development or India’s strategic interests. But after decades of Central funding and projects worth thousands of crores, I think we deserve to ask:

Where is the improvement in everyday island life?

₹75,000 crore proposed for Great Nicobar.

₹1,000 crore submarine OFC.

₹710 crore airport terminal.

Major investments in ports, tourism, fisheries, power and urban infrastructure and so on.

Yet we still face expensive airfares, unreliable connectivity, power issues, limited healthcare and education, weak inter-island transport, limited employment opportunities and an underdeveloped capital city.

And now we are talking about transforming Great Nicobar despite its Seismic Zone V and extreme ecological sensitivity.

I don't oppose development. I oppose development being measured only by how many crores are spent.

The real question is:

How much of this investment has actually improved the lives of the people who live here?

Andaman is not just a strategic asset on India's map.

It is our home.

Save Andaman and Nicobar Islands 🏝 ♥️

Central Government-funded / supported investments and projects in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands:

1. Great Nicobar Development Project —₹75,000 crore

2. Chennai–Andaman & Nicobar Submarine OFC — ₹1,224 crore

3. Veer Savarkar International Airport —₹710 crore

4. Urban infrastructure — ₹373 crore in projects announced in January 2026

5. Port Blair Smart City Mission had ₹445 crore in total funds released by July 2024.

6. Under the coastal shipping/inland waterways programme, A&N had two projects costing ₹39 crore, with ₹38 crore sanctioned at that point.

And so on,

Great Nicobar lies in Seismic Zone V

the highest seismic-risk category in India. The A&N Disaster Management Plan identifies the entire A&N region as Zone V, and the National Center for Seismology continues to record earthquakes around the islands.

So my question is simple:

Before spending ₹75,000 crore on transforming an extremely earthquake-prone island, where is the publicly accessible, independent engineering assessment demonstrating that these mega-structures can remain safe and resilient under a worst-case earthquake and tsunami scenario?

And please do not respond with

“modern engineering can handle it".

The Chennai–A&N submarine OFC project was designed to provide high-speed connectivity between Chennai and the islands, with a 2,312-km cable network connecting Port Blair and several other islands. The official project documents put the approved capital expenditure at about ₹947 crore, plus operational expenditure.

It was commissioned in 2020 and was expected to transform digital connectivity.

So why do many communities across the islands still face persistent issues with reliable mobile and data connectivity?

If nearly ₹1,000 crore has been invested in submarine connectivity, can the government publish island-wise data showing:

●Network coverage,

●4G/5G availability,

●Average internet speed,

●Frequency of outages,

and the number of villages/settlements still without reliable connectivity?

A new integrated terminal was constructed at Port Blair at a reported cost of around ₹710 crore.

Q: But where is the affordable connectivity for island residents?

What is the purpose of a world-class airport if an ordinary islander cannot reasonably afford to travel to the mainland when required?

The government aims to position Andaman & Nicobar as a major tourism destination. I may honest about Port Blair (Sri Vijaya Puram).

A typical tourist experience is:

Cellular Jail → Ross Island → Chidiya Tapu → museums → departure to Havelock/Neil.

The official tourism portal itself highlights these as the primary attractions around Port Blair.

1:- Why is the capital city not a destination where visitors choose to spend 2–3 meaningful days?

2:- Where is the vibrant waterfront?

3:- Where are the cultural districts?

4:- Where are the public spaces?

5:- Where are pedestrian-friendly zones?

6:- Where is the island cuisine and cultural experience?

Do not limit development to hotels and airports.

Build a city worth staying in.

I am an islander from the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, and I am writing this from the perspective of someone who has actually lived here. This is not AN ARGUMENT against development, infrastructure or national security. Andaman & Nicobar is an integral part of India, and its strategic importance is undeniable.

My question is much simpler:

After decades of Central Government funding and increasingly ambitious development plans, how much of that investment has actually translated into a better quality of life for islanders?

The Central Government has been financially supporting the Union Territory for decades through budgetary allocations, grants, centrally sponsored schemes, infrastructure programmes and sector-specific projects. In recent years, the scale of proposed investment has increased substantially, particularly in connectivity, ports, airports, tourism, defence-related infrastructure, power, roads and the proposed Great Nicobar development project.

The Great Nicobar development project alone has been estimated at around ₹75,000 crore, making it one of the largest proposed infrastructure investments in the history of the islands(In seismic zone V)

But there is an important distinction that is often lost in public discussions: ₹75,000 crore proposed investment is not the same as ₹75,000 crore already spent on the islands.

The question I want answered

If India is willing to invest tens of thousands of crores into transforming Andaman & Nicobar, why shouldn't islanders demand that the same level of ambition be reflected in their everyday quality of life?

Is this development for the islands, or merely development on the islands?

Do share your view as an islander. For Mainland peoples, if you want to share share with pictures

I’m trying to understand the legal and ethical side of this.

If an official government body (like the Ministry of Tribal Affairs) records and posts a video of the Jarawa tribe for awareness or documentation, does that automatically mean private pages, influencers, or media accounts can freely repost or redistribute that same content just by giving credits?

Pages should understand this.

Owning or being authorized to film ≠ automatically having rights for others to repost/distribute publicly.

I’m not arguing that all awareness content is wrong. I’m questioning whether official publication should automatically be interpreted as open social-media circulation when the subject involves vulnerable tribal communities whose protection laws exist specifically to prevent exploitation.