The Hindu : Front Page : Operation Andamans in full flow

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Monday, Jan 03, 2005

Front Page

Front Page

Operation Andamans in full flow

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, JAN. 2 . It was a week ago that an unfamiliar and unknown disaster called tsunami hit the southern States. The worst hit were the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, administered by the Centre. Whereas other affected areas such as Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Pondicherry, and Kerala have well-functioning State Governments that could mobilise their resources, the Andaman and Nicobar islands have witnessed the largest ever relief effort by the Centre.

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are spread over a vast area of 700 square miles, presenting a daunting challenge to any administrative effort. However, the Manmohan Singh Government has mounted what is being described as the biggest relief operations since Independence.

Within hours of reports of the tsunami hitting Port Blair, the central Crisis Management Group (CMG) had met. Since then the CMG has been spearheading relief efforts in Andaman and Nicobar, besides of course monitoring efforts in the affected States.

Defence forces' role

Those familiar with the working of the CMG speak approvingly in particular of the mobilisation contribution from the defence forces. Never before had Army, Navy and Air Force officers and men been called upon to assist civilian authorities on this scale. The verdict in the highest echelons of the Central Government is that the Defence Ministry has delivered much better than expected.

In fact, the day begins with a senior Defence Ministry operational officer chairing a meeting at nine; the meeting is attended by officials from other relevant Ministries such as Home, Civil Aviation, Shipping, and Communication. These officials assess the overnight feedback and chalk out the details of relief operations.

For instance, the activities planned this morning for Andaman and Nicobar included (a) the airlift of epicoated drums from Visakhapatnam to Port Blair for shifting aviation fuel to Diglipur; (b) the airlift of an engineer company with 10 tonnes of equipment to Carnic island; (c) the airlift of 12 tonnes of gensets to Port Blair; (d) 25 tonnes of fresh water to Carnic; (e) the airlift of generators, pumps, bleaching powder, food packets, tents, and clothing, weighing 90 tonnes; and (f) the deployment of MI-8 Pawan Hans helicopters from Carnic for air dropping of relief stores.

The Crisis Management Group, headed by the Cabinet Secretary, meets at one in the afternoon. It is attended by all the Secretaries, and the group assesses the immediate and medium term requirements. The Cabinet Secretary speaks every evening to the Chief Secretary at Port Blair and gets his inputs and ideas about new requirements for the next day's strategising of relief efforts.

The key operational performance is put in by the armed forces. Para-military forces are being deployed and they are using sniffer dogs for locating dead bodies, especially in the thickly forested islands.

The management group at the Defence Ministry meets again late in the evening to plan for the next day's efforts. Simultaneously, the Group of Ministers meets. When the Prime Minister is in town he chairs the meeting; otherwise, the Defence Minister presides. The Group of Ministers takes note of political inputs as well as suggestions and advice from the various NGOs working in various affected areas. The GoM also processes the requirements of the affected States.

The deployment

Operation Andamans has seen the deployment of 8,000 Army troops; 32 ships, 21 helicopters, eight aircraft; 5,500 naval personnel; and seven IL-76s, 16 AN-32s, two Avros, 11 helicopters, and 2,000 Air Force personnel, besides other Defence efforts.

Operation Andamans is being taken up by the central administrative leadership as a challenge. There may be specific criticisms but those involved in Operation Andamans believe the Central Government can take considerable satisfaction from the efforts so far. And they promise it will get better now that island-wise relief teams have been put in place.

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