The Inconvenient Truth

The Inconvenient Truth

Life under island conditions had been peaceful and content until the epic disaster christened the “Great Sumatra-Andaman Earthquake” rattled our islands on the 26^th day of December 2004 at 6.29am  IST; triggering a massive tsunami that washed away anything to everything coming its way. The multiple-disaster caught the islanders unawares, mostly in their sleep following the Merry Christmas celebrations. Before the “boxing day” nobody had the slightest idea that the sea, amid which they had been leading their life, could threaten their very existence. The disaster turned out to be a learning experience for majority of islanders who got to know the word tsunami, though sounds Indian to our ears, is in-fact a word of Japanese origin; meaning giant harbor waves generated by undersea tectonic or volcanic activity.

The 2004 slow slip undersea earthquake incidentally shifted Andaman and Nicobar  Islands south-west by about 1.25 m. Remote sensing and visual inspection of shoreline changes provide evidence for both uplift at Andaman group and subsistence at Nicobar group. GPS measurements indicate 60 cm uplift at Diglipur, 84 cm subsistence at Port Blair, 7 cm subsistence at Havelock, and 34 cm uplift at Hut Bay. The tsunami breached the shorelines claiming lives, destroyed buildings, uprooted trees, washed away roads, bridges, and submerged large tracts of land. The disaster also had enormous effect on the islands fragile ecosystem. The coral reef and mangrove ecosystems bore the burnt of natures fury, silently.

Several NGO’s (national and international) responded to the crisis situations providing timely relief materials and services to the affected. The Indian Government too pumped in ample funds for relief, rehabilitation and rebuilding the disaster torn islands. It is this generous Govt grant, humanitarian aids from NGO’s and the efforts put in by the A&N Administration that helped our people overcome the trauma. But after 6 long years, Relief, Rehabilitation and Rebuilding is a story of neglect for the residents of rural South Andaman. It is this dimension of the disaster that the present article intends to explore.

Apart from the visible damage to life and property, the 2004 epic disaster had a telling effect, throwing life of a large section of populace from rural South Andaman out of gear. An estimated 14000 passengers and hundreds of 2, 3, 4 and 6 wheelers used to commute daily between Bambooflat and Chatham on board ferry (and or vehicle ferry) boats operated by Directorate of Shipping Services (DSS). Students, office goers, traders, daily wage earners, transporters, tourists, patients, and members of the public comprise the passenger traffic across the route. Before the disaster struck, ferry boats plying in the route were known for following the schedules strictly. Post disaster, everything has become thing of the past.  

The disaster caused minor damages and submergence of Bamboo flat jetty yet the route had to be kept operational keeping in view of large commuter traffic across the creek. Moreover sea route was the only means for the commuters of rural South Andaman. The DSS did the right thing operating vehicle ferry minus 6 wheelers, for the time being. The sea in the region grew so violent that only particular boats could ply in the route; not according to the arrival/departure schedules, but based on tidal conditions. Raising the slipway at Bamboo flat jetty in due course did facilitated safe operation of boats and spared the commuters from landing in sea during embarkation or disembarkation.

But schedule of the ferry services (that became erratic following the disaster) remains irregular and insufficient till this date. Commuters are forced to waste a whale of their time on either side of the creek waiting for the ferry. And when ferry becomes available, only those who could jostle and rub shoulders would get accommodated. For the rest of the crowd, it’s a long wait once again!

Every ferry, be it day or night, sails jam packed with vehicles (2, 3, 4 wheelers), and passengers cramped in the little space between vehicles. The scene is repeated every day, every trip, round the year but nobody seems bothered about the plight of commuters. Improving ferry service or commuters safety is “French” for those at the helm of affairs. Public complaints are either not answered or marked to officials retired from service long back.

Another sore that remains alive; un-healed is the Kadakachang bridge that was left damaged by tsunami. Sea water ingress through the defunct sluice gate at Kadakachang flooded large tracts of agricultural land. The field on either side of the road from Stewart ganj to Wimberly ganj, which erstwhile had been under cultivation, now stands infested by Crocodiles! Though a steel bridge replaced the damaged one at Kadakachang, but to everybody’s surprise the bridge slipped from its foundation within months of its installation. Here also ad-hoc arrangement came into play. The bridge, though unsafe, was kept open with RCC blockade on either side, so that no vehicles other than 4 wheelers and below could pass over the bridge.

In the past more than 6 years the earth had stood still in the region. Nothing had changed, not even the ad-hoc arrangement put in place 6 years back. The Kadakachang bridge, with a dingi (country made wooden boat) caught in its mouth, is still hanging from its foundation and those RCC blocks on either side of the bridge restricting vehicular traffic remains intact. Even today peoples cross over the precariously placed Kadakachang bridge at their own risk.

The height of neglect however is reflected in the plight of those farmers whose land got submerged. Their demand for alternate land and livelihood not only remains unheard but undecided! When the whole world is preparing for the Seventh Anniversary of the epic disaster, a press note published in The Daily Telegrams dated 18/07/2011 requesting the tsunami affected farmers to give their consent in writing as to the mode of compensation whether in cash or alternate land, had come as a rude shock. A good number of farmers had rejected taking cash in lieu of (submerged) land. Others say though the proposal seems indecent, they have no option but to accept it since they may not live long enough to see light at the end of the tunnel.

Amid this neglect and indecision, life of the survivors of the 2004 epic disaster, moves on. Perhaps the 6 long years of waiting for apt compensation, relief, rehabilitation and rebuilding is not over yet.

This post was carried in the Port Blair edition of Echo of India dated 11/08/2011