A proposal to build a government-led five-star hotel on an uninhabited island in the Sundarbans has triggered environmental objections, even as state officials say tourism expansion must not damage forests or wildlife.
The proposal was discussed after BJP leader and actor Mithun Chakraborty held a meeting with officials in Canning following a two-day visit to the Sundarbans. Chakraborty said a wooden five-star hotel was being planned on a secluded island to improve tourism and generate economic opportunities for local residents.
According to the report, officials from the tourism and forest departments, along with district and Canning subdivision administrators, attended the meeting. Chakraborty said the Sundarbans was not benefiting from the economic opportunities associated with wildlife safaris in other parts of India and that visitors should have greater opportunities to see tigers. He also referred to plans for dolphin safaris and religious tourism.
Chakraborty said between 70% and 80% of local residents would need to be employed as part of the development plan. He is also expected to present the proposal to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee after returning to Kolkata.
Sundarbans Development Minister Dipankar Jana said the government would consider islands where wildlife would not be affected. “We will plan to build this hotel only on those uninhabited islands where there will be no harm to wildlife,” Jana said, according to the report. He added that the government did not support development that destroyed the environment and that improving the economic conditions of Sundarbans residents was a major objective.
A Canning subdivision official said the proposal remained at a preliminary stage. The official said the administration was considering islands without forests or wildlife and that the proposed structure would not be built with concrete. The administration would pay particular attention to preventing environmental damage, the official said.
The proposal has not received a uniform response within the state government. Environment Minister Manoj Oraon said he was not aware of the exact statement made by Chakraborty and would not comment without knowing the details. He nevertheless acknowledged that a hotel in a forested area could harm the environment.
Environmental activists have opposed the proposal. Subhas Dutta said such a project could not be accepted and warned that environmental groups would launch a movement and approach the courts if necessary. Activist Biswajit Mukherjee said a similar attempt had been made during the Left Front government but was rejected by the pollution control authorities and did not receive central clearance.
The dispute puts the proposed hotel within the regulatory framework governing construction and tourism in an ecologically sensitive landscape. The officials quoted in the report have not announced a site, project cost, construction schedule, approval timeline or tender process. No formal environmental clearance or detailed project document has been cited.
For now, the proposal remains at the discussion stage. The next stated step is Chakraborty’s proposed meeting with the chief minister, after which the state government would have to clarify the site, design, environmental safeguards, approvals and role of local communities.
