Manipur, April 10 -- Through a series of de-notifications and amendments, the forests, tribal reserves and coastal areas of the islands are being prepped for mega projects.

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are often pictured as a lush, tropical tourist paradise. But recent government moves may strip the protections that the ecologically and ethnically significant archipelago enjoys, in order to make way for big business, shipping and tourism projects, documents accessed by IndiaSpend show.

Through a series of de-notifications, amendments, special committee meetings and correspondence with other states--many hidden from public view--the forests, tribal reserves and coastal areas of the islands are being prepped for mega projects.

With th...