In the Fields of Stewart Gunj
Being born and brought up in rural South Andaman, passing alongside the fields of Stewart Gunj had been a regular feature during my first eight years of schooling at Govt Middle School Kanyapuram. The fields, apart from being the rice bowl of the area, the stunning greenery on both sides of the stretch of road ( kheti raasta ) passing amid the fields of Stewart Gunj used to be a visual treat. The 2004 Great Sumatra-Andaman Earthquake and the resultant tsunami however changed the landscape of the entire area forever. Sea water breached the British time sluice gate at Kadakachang and flooded the fields rendering it unfit for cultivation. The present article traces this transformation of the erstwhile fields of Stewart Gunj into its present water logged avatar. Andaman and Nicobar Islands is considered an ecological paradise, endowed with lush green Tropical Evergreen Rainforest Ecosystem, Mangrove Ecosy...