India Dismisses Green Concerns On 50 New Resorts In Andaman Islands

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The protests came after New Delhi, spurred by a revival of tourism in the island chain following the devastating December 2004 tsunami, decided last week to open 50 new holiday locations. Krishnan said "a tested waste management system" must be in place before new holiday sites are opened."

Arup Kumar Roy of the group, Healthy Environment and Less Pollution (HELP), warned that the island chain's ecology was already reeling under the pressure of population which has ballooned three-fold to 360 000 in a decade. In Port Blair, garbage is already a problem with mounds of rubbish tainting picture-perfect bungalows built before World War II. "More tourism means more damage to the ecology, and besides, there is no concrete plan related to transportation," said the HELP chief.

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Pal dismissed the warnings of environmental groups.

The administration would not allow any damage to the emerald-green sea or the exotic islands which are closer to Indonesia than India, he said. "These sites have been selected so that environmentally-sensitive hotels and beach resorts can be set up under our tourism plan," he said. "We're ready to discuss issues with environmentalists and we would go in planned manner considering our delicate ecology," Pal added.

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