The Hindu : Front Page : Pressure mounting on 6 Port Blair relief camps

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jan 01, 2005

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Pressure mounting on 6 Port Blair relief camps

By Suresh Nambath

PORT BLAIR, DEC. 31. As evacuation from the Nicobar group of islands continues in full swing, pressure is building up on the six relief camps in Port Blair. More than 3,000 persons have been accommodated in these camps. While there have been no complaints of shortage of food or drinking water, the pressure on the camps in schools might begin to tell soon.

For one thing, after refugees with links to mainland moved out in the initial days, the number of people who have nowhere to go is increasing. There are still many who want to leave, but the numbers are dwindling. The camps constantly blare out appeals to those wanting to leave for the mainland to register themselves. However, the Lieutenant Governor, Ram Kapse, insists that people would not be sent to the mainland against their will.Some of the women and children in the camps, who are mainlanders, do not want to leave as their husbands are in government service in Car Nicobar, and have to remain on duty.

As rehabilitation might take even months, the continuance of the camps in schools might not be feasible. The Christmas vacation had freed up space in the educational institutions.

Several non-governmental organisations have pooled in resources to help in the running of the camps. But it might not take too long for the relief material, especially drinking water, to run out, warn relief workers.

Some of the Nicobarese in the camp, like Jackson, who along with his family survived the tsunami are farm hands, and know no other job. Others like Sheikh Ali, who worked in a vegetable market, want to go home safe and secure to the Car Nicobar where they had lived all their life, but which, after the tsunami, no longer exists.

Navy operations

The Naval Officer-in-Charge, Commodore Sankaran Mampully, said the Navy had initially deployed its best ships to the farthest points that were in need of urgent relief after the tsunami. The ships had prioritised who should be evacuated and assessed the damage to the infrastructure and services in the initial stages. The Navy concentrated on the islands officially recognised as inhabited, he said. But, people in areas declared as inhabited could still have survived, he added.

Asked about reports of threats from crocodiles in the southern group of islands, he said crocodiles were present even prior to the tsunami and the people in those areas were used to them.

A total of 41 service flights were undertaken today from INS Utkrosh by the Air Force, Navy and the Coast Guard. The Chetak helicopter evacuated 10 people from Hut Bay. INS Trinket evacuated 60 people. The Coast Guard vessel, Akka Devi, delivered five tonnes of relief material at Hut Bay.

The team that went with INS Trinket carried out a survey for establishing fresh water facilities in Little Andaman.

A dam located 60 km from the jetty with pipelines and roads extensively damaged and a quarry lake 2.5 km from jetty connected with motorable road were found.

Aerial reconnaissance from INS Rajput in Katchal, Camorta, Nancowrie and Trinket found Nancowrie and Camorta normal, but no habitant was observed in Trinket.

The water level at a lighthouse in Ross Island has risen in the days following the tsunami. Ross Island, which is under the administrative control of the Navy, has been closed to tourists.

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