The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Andaman islands suffer over Rs. 300-crore loss

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jan 17, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Andaman islands suffer over Rs. 300-crore loss

By N. Ravikumar

CHENNAI, JAN. 16. A preliminary assessment of the damage caused by the December 26 killer earthquake and tsunami to maritime facilities in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, including 23 notified seaports, has put the loss at Rs.302 crores.

The waves ripped through tremor-torn wharfs, jetties and several ports, which served as lifeline of "import-dependent" islands, facilitating transportation of men and material.

"We have assessed and analysed everything ... the loss may be a little higher," says N. Dhilleswara Rao, Chief Port Administrator of the Port Management Board of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Apart from the departments of the islands' administration, structural engineers from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras, and earthquake engineers from the IIT, Rourkee, were involved in the assessment.

A clear picture of the devastation caused by the tsunami, which swept away almost all navigational aids, dismembered several jetties and left many wharfs useless, will emerge when the results of ongoing surveys by several government organisations are put together.

The prominent among them include one commissioned by the Minor Ports Survey Organisation of the Shipping Ministry on January 11 to assess the draught in the area and another recently by the Survey of India on the changes to the topography.

"The surveys will give the details of the wreckage, which could cause hindrance to ships and the rise in the sea level," Mr. Rao told The Hindu here on Saturday. Initial reports point to up to a 1.5-metre increase in the mean sea level. "The water level that rose after the tsunami has not receded," he says, pointing out that it would require major dredging.

Damage control

Notwithstanding the damage and the spate of earthquakes that continued to rock the Islands after December 26, the Port Management Board got down to work on a war-footing and ensured that at least a few of the maritime time facilities became operational. "Within hours, we restored operations at Port Blair, especially to receive passenger vessels from other islands and relief materials that poured in from several parts of the country." This was crucial, as absence of ship movements could have led to an increase in the prices of essential commodities and scarcity of even fresh water.

Thanking defence personnel for the timely assistance, Mr. Rao says the emphasis was also on restoring communication facilities at ports, which are used by vessels going up to Australia and on the Indian Coast. It would be, however, be some more time before the damage to all the maritime facilities are rectified. At present, 21 of the 26 wharfs and jetties and 14 notified seaports in the southern group have been damaged and are not fit for operation.

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