A ‘reform wave’ Lakshadweep could do without (The Hindu, Polity, GS-2)

31 May A ‘reform wave’ Lakshadweep could do without (The Hindu, Polity, GS-2)

Context:- Recent reforms by the current administrator prafull patel in lakshadweep administration leads to widespread criticism. The pretext of these reforms is to transform Lakshadweep into a Maldivessma  type economy.

What are those reforms:

• the Lakshadweep Animal Preservation Regulation, 2021
•  the Prevention of Anti­Social Activities Regulation (PASA)
•  the Lakshadweep Panchayat Regulation, 2021 
• Lakshadweep Development Authority Regulation 2021

A tumultuous journey of Island:-

• Island development agency under Home ministry to take development and security to the new level
• There are three distinct ecosystems: 
  • Land
  • Lagoon
  • ocean. 
• Fishery is a primary occupation here. 
• Vatteluttu was the earliest script used with its heavy Sanskrit component.
• Administration was digitised back then in 1990, its PRI system was working even before 1993.

What has done:-

• Lakshadweep required the industry to be people­-centric and enrich the fragile coral ecology. 
• rainwater harvesting facilities,
• Solar power covers 10% of lighting
• All islands have been connected by helicopter service since 1986
• high speed passenger boats were purchased in the 1990s by an international tender
• redesign of the tripods reinforcing the beaches against sea erosion, and ensuring piped water supply especially designed to draw from the fresh water lens
• Vernacular building traditions are the theme of all government housing projects undertaken in the islands in the 1980s
• Kavaratti has a desalination wind­ powered plant gifted by the Danish government.
• poverty line in terms of GDP is only slightly higher than the World Bank’s poverty threshold, Lakshadweep today has no poor people;
• Long lines and refrigeration have aided the expansion of the fishing sector
• Indiscriminate trawling endangers the coral

Way forward:-

• need to develop policies for
  • enhancing employment opportunities, 
  • Environment­friendly
  • management of fisheries, 
  • sanitation, 
  • waste disposal and widening
  • access to drinking water
  •  Youth having acquired a modern education, 
    • preferring salaried jobs
  • over pursuing traditional occupations
• conservation and natural resource management arrived at after wide consultation.

Why Laksweep can’t be converted in to maldive type model:-

• Water bungalows — an expensive concept (Taken from maldive) 
  • Is also hazardous to the coral 
  • Can become the issue in the  monsoon region
• We must note that:-A wooden jetty installed at the diving school in Kadmat needs to be dismantled every monsoon
• allow the mining and exploitation of mineral resource will be a disaster to the coral ecosystem.

Download Daily Current Affairs of  31th May 2021

Swarn Singh

Plutus IAS Current Affair Team Member