Andaman and Nicobar Sanctuary Plan Raises Indigenous Rights Concerns

The Andaman and Nicobar administration has proposed establishing new wildlife sanctuaries on islands traditionally inhabited and managed by the indigenous southern Nicobarese people. The plan has drawn attention to the potential disregard for community rights and the broader ecological and social consequences of such designations.

Among the proposed sites is a coral sanctuary on Meroë Island, a megapode sanctuary on Menchal Island aimed at protecting endemic megapode birds, and a leatherback turtle sanctuary on Little Nicobar Island. The latter is particularly notable as the administration seeks to create the sanctuary without consulting the indigenous Nicobarese, who have customary ties to the island.

The Andaman Islands, comprising 572 islands, already host the highest number of wildlife sanctuaries in India—96 in total—along with 9 national parks. Key islands include North Andaman, South Andaman, Little Andaman, and Middle Andaman.

Existing protected areas in the region include Campbell Bay and Galathea National Parks on Great Nicobar, which are part of the Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve and separated by a 12-km forest buffer. Galathea is India's southernmost national park and shelters giant robber crabs, megapodes, Nicobar pigeons, and turtles.

Other notable sites include the Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park in South Andaman, which protects mangroves, corals, and nesting sea turtles; Mount Harriett National Park (also known as Mount Manipur National Park), the third-highest peak in the archipelago; and Rani Jhansi Marine National Park in Ritchie's Archipelago, home to dugongs, dolphins, and blue whales. Saddle Peak National Park, the highest point in the islands, supports Andaman wild pigs, imperial pigeons, and saltwater crocodiles.

The new proposals add to this extensive network but highlight the tension between conservation goals and the rights of indigenous communities who have long coexisted with these ecosystems.