60 ` A Development and Environment Magazine Vol. 12, IssueVol. 12, 75, November-December 2012 www.geographyandyou.com Livelihood and Changing Social Values Coral Bleaching Seagrass Meadows of Lakshadweep Ocean Technology for Islands Tuna Fishing THE WHITE SANDS OF India The Lakshadweep Islands 120- 200 nautical miles off the south west coast of India, comprises of 11 inhabited islands (0.58 - 4.8 sq km in size ) and 16 uninhabited islands/islets; 6 newly formed/submerged banks and 3 coral reefs. The largest island is Minicoy with a length of about 9 km and area of 4.37 sq km. The total land availability including the inhabited and the uninhabited islands together is 32 sq km. Except Andrott, all other islands are protected by a nearly crescent shaped ‘reef wall’ with more than two boat channels. Known as the Laccadive, Aminidivi and Minicoy group of islands when it was formed into a Union Territory (UT) in 1956, it was renamed as Lakshadweep in 1973. These Islands are considered the smallest UT of India - however bestowed with 20,000 sq km of territorial waters and 40,000 sq km of exclusive economic zone - Lakshadweep is anything but small. Livelihood opportunities are very limited in the Lakshadweep Islands with Bitra Chetlat Kiltan Kadmat Bangaram Amini Agatti Andrott Kavaratti Kalpeni The inhabited islands of Minicoy Lakshadweep Map not to scale ISLANDSTHE LAKSHADWEEP deep sea and reef fishing as the main occupation followed by coconut cultivation. GEOGRAPHY AND YOU contents VOL. 12 ISSUE 75 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2012 KAVARATTI, LAKSHADWEEP According to provisional figures of 2011 Census, Lakshadweep stands in second place, ranking just below Kerala (93.91 per cent ) with an overall literacy rate of 92.28 per cent which is 5.58 per cent higher than that recorded during 2001. Female literacy stands at nearly 88 per cent in the islands reflective of the higher status of women in the matrilineal society of the Muslim dominated union territory. 2 NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2012 GEOGRAPHY AND YOU INDIA’S ARCHIPELAGO EDITOR 10 Overview SULAGNA CHATTOPADHYAY Lakshadweep: State of Environment V SAMPATH LEGAL ADVISOR KRISHNENDU DATTA 12 Island People Livelihood and Changing Social RESEARCH Values in Lakshadweep MADHUSMITA GIRI, ANKITA SAH VINEETA HOON COVER PHOTOGRAPH 20 Biodiversity MEN CARRYING COIR TO THE JETTY Coral Bleaching in Lakshadweep IN AN INDIGENOUSLY FABRICATED T T AJITH KUMAR, S PRAKASH AND T BALASUBRAMANIAN CONTRAPTION 24 Conservation SPONSORSHIP Seagrass Meadows and Conservation P KALADHARAN, K P SAID KOYA THE SPECIAL ISSUE ON LAKSHADWEEP AND BINDU SULOCHANAN HAS BEEN SPONSORED BY LAKSHADWEEP ADMINISTRATION. 28 Island Development Ocean Technology for Islands PHOTOGRAPHY KIRUBAGARAN AND RAMANA MURTHY PRASAD 36 Resource Management IRIS PUBLICATION PVT. LTD. Tuna Fishing in the Atolls REGISTERED OFFICE B MEENAKUMARI 111/9, ARUNA ASAF ALI MARG, KISHANGARH, VASANT KUNJ, INDIA’S WEATHER NEW DELHI-110070. 48 Concept Counter CORRESPONDENCE/EDITORIAL OFFICE Cold Waves 1584, B-1, VASANT KUNJ, NEW DELHI-110070 52 Forecast PHONE: 011-26122789 FOR NEW Global Warming and Indian Monsoon SUBSCRIPTIONS, RENEWALS, NITYANAND SINGH AND H N SINGH ENQUIRIES PLEASE CONTACT CIRCULATION MANAGER E-MAIL: GEOGRAPHYANDYOU2001@ YAHOO.CO.UK OR FACT FILE [email protected] 6 TYPES: Islands of the World PLEASE VISIT OUR SITE AT WWW.GEOGRAPHYANDYOU.COM FOR 8 SOCIETY: The Island People FURTHER INFORMATION. 40 RESOURCE: Freshwater in Lakshadweep 46 LIVELIHOOD: Ecotourism for the Coral ©IRIS PUBLICATION PVT. LTD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED THROUGHOUT Islands of India THE WORLD. REPRODUCTION IN ANY MANNER, PART OR WHOLE, IS PROHIBITED. PRINTED, PUBLISHED AND OWNED BY SULAGNA CHATTOPADHYAY. PRINTED AT INDIA GRAPHIC SYSTEMS PVT. LTD. F-23, OKHLA INDUSTRIAL AREA, PHASE-I, NEW DELHI - 110020. PUBLISHED AT 4 Editor’s Note IRIS PUBLICATION PVT. LTD. GEOGRAPHY AND YOU DOES NOT TAKE In Brief ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR RETURNING UNSOLICITED PUBLICATION MATERIAL. 19 TERM POWER Coral Islands NEWS UPDATE ALL DISPUTES ARE SUBJECT TO THE EXCLUSIVE 34 Island Watch JURISDICTION OF COMPETENT COURTS AND 42 ISLAND AGRICULTURE Coconut Plantation FORUMS IN DELHI/NEW DELHI ONLY. 43 TERM POWER RATING Coral Islands 45 ENERGY Island Development GEOGRAPHY AND YOU NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2012 3 Edit Note AGATTI, LAKSHADWEEP Dear readers The beauty of Lakshadweep is unparalleled - tiny emerald drops set in azure and deep blue - with a water-world, teeming with colours that should make our hearts swell with national pride. Just about an hour by air from the ‘God’s own country’ - the well packaged Kerala where tourists from world over make a beeline to - for a taste of India, yet Lakshadweep is far from accessible as permits control the tourist population. Here we have a group of islands - 11 to be precise, with a population of 65,000 persons and about 50,000 livestock, primarily cattle and goat inhabiting an area of 32 sq km. Only coconut and fish being locally available, the island’s heavy dependency on the mainland is well understood. It is true that ecotourism based sustainable business models will provide a fillip to the islanders’ livelihoods apart from showcasing the beauty of our country. Also that an enhanced possibility of earnings will usher in a new learning amongst the islanders about sanitation, ecofriendly housing, land upgradation, water management and species diversity. The government thus needs to pro actively work out a sustainability plan, with larger funds being diverted into the region to develop adequate infrastructure with the protection of the islands and its people in mind. This issue of G’nY outlines the concerns of Lakshadweep - a near forgotten biodiversity rich region of our nation, waiting to be explored by its responsible and conscientious citizens. Sulagna Chattopadhyay 4 NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2012 GEOGRAPHY AND YOU Letters to the Editor 60 ` have been in the similar vein to that historical facts about census in A Development and Environment Magazine of the UID initiative: the issue of India is quite interesting. But I Vol. 12, IssueVol. September 12, 74, - October 2012 www.geographyandyou.com citizens’ privacy; lack of a cost- do not agree that a caste census benefi t analysis; and ultimately its should be undertaken, particularly ENUMERATING uncertain utility. when the nation is becoming more INDIA In other fi rsts, citizens’ access cosmopolitanism as we are all ■ Census of India - A critique ■ Our Census, Our Future? ■ to new technologies like mobiles, turning into world citizens. Why Gender sensitisation in the Census ■ India’s Elders: Challenges to Inclusive Growth ■ Declining Child Sex Ratio in India computers and internet will also be are we than moving in a backward ■ Rural-Urban Divide in Health Status recorded as part of the Census. The direction? Why should our youth 2011 Census has detailed questions know about which caste he belongs on disability, an attempt to recognise to and why should one look for multiple types of disorders, apart reservation benefi ts in the selection from simply recording overall of one’s career. The politicians For more details log on to our website www.geographyandyou.com numbers. The ‘other’ category will should understand that reservation help register illnesses like cerebral will help someone get a government palsy and autism, which don’t job, but not in creative fi elds. And fall into any of the other sections. a country develops because of its Census Issue However, concerns remain about the creative talents and not because I was delighted to see the Census accuracy of the information, given of its government offi cials. I wish issue of G’nY. It is my favourite the social stigma that continues to we as a nation could think of our subject and I keep reading about impact the differently-abled in our development in a positive manner it. Did you know that the Census society. Respondents or their families and not with negative discrimination. this year has many fi rsts to its may conceal disability, especially of Rameshwar Singh, credit? Foremost among them is the a mental nature, because of a fear of Patna, Bihar creation of a National Population being ostracised. Register (NPR), a database of all The caste based census, Bringing on Societal ‘residents’ (as opposed to citizens) another fi rst, will have a caste Change above the age of 15 years - which wise composition of the Indian The Delhi rape case has been an of course you have talked about population. Last but not the least the eye opener in many ways. Demands in your articles. The NPR will be ‘other category’ has been introduced for capital punishment, stringent a biometric database that will in the sex and work related sections, rape laws, speedy handling etc., are include photographs, fi ngerprints for the fi rst time. The other category ‘cures’ after ‘the act’. What about and iris prints apart from relevant will pertain to transgenders and prevention? It is not the question demographic information. But prostitutes, respectively. Many see of either-or, several simultaneous this initiative yet to be undertaken this as a positive move; offering steps are needed. More importantly, anywhere else in the world, will incur some recognition to two of the most as long as women or girls are not an expenditure of Rs 3,539.24 crore. marginalised groups in the Indian treated as persons in their own Abhijit Dasgupta’s article titled ‘Our society instead of rendering them right and not as a commodity to Census: Our Future’ is unaware invisible as before. be consumed - under the garb of about this huge cost. S Ranganathan, institutionalised endorsement or The biometrics information will be Chennai, Tamil Nadu. otherwise, they and their bodies fed into the UID which will generate would be violated one way or the unique IDs for all ‘usual’ residents Creative talents other. Home is the place where (temporary/permanent and legal/ I got hold of the September-October initial socialisation takes place illegal living in the country for at least 2012 issue of G’nY magazine at - discrimination in any one way 6 months).