Sarthak Kanjilal
Port Blair, Dec 19: After jumping many deadlines finally it seems that the Alternative Sea Route to Baratang is becoming a reality. The works for alternative sea route to Baratang is in full swing and Port Management Board is working day and night in a professional manner to complete this task.
Meanwhile the news of Alternative Sea Route becoming reality is getting mixed reactions from public. While a section is happy for this alternative route some section of society associated with Baratang Tourism feel that opening of alternative route might hit the Baratang Tourism and also tourism business of local cab owners, very hard.
“This should be our responsibility to run Tourism without disturbing the Jarawa Tribes and also to provide an Island experience to visiting tourists. Being islanders we should look after our tribes. The alternative sea route to Baratang will not only increase our dependency on sea but also ease pressure on Andaman Trunk Road,” said Mr. Zubair Ahmed, a senior journalist of Andaman and Nicobar islands.
But tour operators of Baratang seem not so impressed. “This is my thinking that opening of sea route will result in decrease in number of tourist arrival at Baratang. This alternative sea route will certainly hit tourism business of Baratang hard, which is a prominent source of income of this area. Not only boat operators but also the vehicles owners of Port Blair will suffer loss,” said Mr. Alagar Swamy the Zilla Parishad member of Baratang area.
Whatever might be the arguments, Baratang seems to be getting an alternate sea route, which will be a new addition to the Andaman’s Tourism infrastructure. Time will only tell that who will reap benefit from this alternative sea route and will suffer loss.
