The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are home to some of the world’s most isolated and vulnerable tribes, with five tribes classified as “particularly vulnerable”.
These include the Jarawas, North Sentinelese, Great Andamanese, Onge, and Shompen. The Jarawas and North Sentinelese remain largely uncontacted, but the Shompen (about 400 people) on the Great Nicobar Islands are also at risk of losing their way of life due to external pressures.
A nomadic tribe, most of them live deep in the forests where they search for food to survive. Not much is known about their culture, as very few of them have ever had contact with the outside world.
“Their loss would be particularly devastating and devastating,” said Justin, who has been documenting the island since 1985.
“Whatever we call developments in the outside world are of no interest to them. “They live their own traditional life.”
Environmentalists say the project will have huge environmental costs.
Spread across 921 square kilometers (355.6 square miles), about 80% of Great Nicobar Island is covered in rainforest, home to more than 1,800 animal and 800 plant species, many of which are endemic.
The federal environment ministry said only 130 square kilometers, or 14%, of the island’s total area would be cleared for the project. However, this still equates to approximately 964,000 trees. Experts warn that the actual figure could be much higher.
“The government always claims that only part of the forest will be cleared. But the infrastructure being built will lead to more pollution, which will eventually affect the entire habitat,” says ecologist Madhav Gadgil.
The Ministry of Environment did not respond to the BBC’s request for comment.
But last August, Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav said the project “will not disturb or displace” tribal people and that environmental clearance had been granted “after incorporating rigorous environmental surveys and consequent protective measures”.
But not everyone is convinced.
Earlier this year, 39 international experts from various social science disciplines warned that development projects would be a “death sentence” for the Shompen people as they would destroy their habitat.
Justin is also filled with fear. “The Shompen people do not have the knowledge or means to survive in an industrial society,” he says.
