John Wilbert & Vikramaditya
Teressa Island, Sept 11: The residents of Teressa Island of Nicobar District are facing a severe shortage of essential commodities, attributed to the reduced number of sailings between Port Blair and Nancowry.
Reports emerging from the Island since yesterday highlight an acute shortage of items like rice, wheat flour, dal, milk, potatoes, onions, and tomatoes. Sugar remains the sole exception, with supplies expected to last only a few more days.
Local sources revealed the scarcity of most dry ration items and vegetables. An Islander, who preferred to remain unnamed, lamented, “Even our tea packets are running out.”
A private shopkeeper in Teressa commented on the dire situation, saying, “Over the past few months, we’ve received limited stocks of groceries and vegetables. For two weeks now, we’ve received nothing, leaving us with just sugar and some stationery items for sale.”
Mr. Benher, the First Captain of Teressa Islands, affirmed the issue. He stated that the community has been grappling with these shortages for two weeks. “While the islanders have tried to manage with local sources like seafood, recent heavy rainfall has also impacted fishing activities,” he added.
Upon contacting the Assistant Commissioner of Nancowry Islands, it was confirmed that the main cause behind this scarcity is the limited ship sailings, especially with MV Bharat Seema not being operational. However, there’s some relief in sight. He said, “We have sufficient dry ration items at our civil supply in Teressa. We’re regularly dispatching groceries via our speed boat. Once the MV Bharat Seema resumes operations, supplies will be directly sent to Teressa.” He assured residents that he’s in constant touch with local officials and promised prompt action to address the issue.
