EHA

January 10, 2005

Car Nicobar, Campbell Bay, Katchal and Hutbay islands badly affected:
The major aspect that strikes you as you fly into Andamans, is the awesome beauty of the place. The islands look like pearls from the skies with the sea striking different hues of color because of the coral reefs. However, as you land in the airport, you can notice the unusual flurry of activity. There is a large crack running along one part of the runway - which is almost repaired. There are a lot of people in the town of Port Blair but there is no sign of any disaster. Posters greet you asking to donate generously for tsunami victims.

Tourism has been the major industry here. In fact, the hotel we are put up had been inaugurated during the week before the disaster.

Andamans is a potboiler of cultures and languages from all over India. The people here call it a mini India. I could meet people from Kerala, Jharkhand, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh. The Nicobarese are the natives. There are groups of people who do not mingle with the outsiders. Most of the people who came from the mainland are doing government jobs. Laborers are all from the mainland.

Mr Gandhi is from Andhra Pradesh. He was born here and has trained himself to be a guide for snorkeling. October to May is the major tourist season here. He knows that he has lost a good deal of his livelihood. A large part of the corals in the North Bay has been washed out or destroyed in the tsunami. He is still hopeful that people will return again to see the corals. He says that Andaman corals are the next largest after the Great Barrier reef in Australia.

The people who died in the Andamans are mostly from places away from Port Blair. The islands of Car Nicobar, Campbell Bay, Katchal and Hutbay have been badly affected. People are apprehensive now of the future.