Sri Vijaya Puram, July 29: Residents of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are facing severe hardship due to an unprecedented delay in the delivery of India Post consignments from mainland India. Parcels, medicines, books, educational materials, official documents, banking papers, legal documents, examination-related papers and other essential items booked through India Post are reportedly taking more than five to six weeks to reach the Islands, leaving customers frustrated and without any clear information on the status of their consignments.
Several affected customers have alleged that enquiries at local post offices have yielded no satisfactory response, as officials themselves are unable to provide a definite reason or expected delivery date. The prolonged uncertainty has added to the inconvenience faced by islanders, many of whom depend on the postal network for receiving important consignments from the mainland.
In one such case, a parcel booked on July 6, 2026, is yet to reach Port Blair despite more than three weeks having passed. In another instance, an item booked from Agartala on June 22 has still not been delivered even after more than a month.
The delay has become a matter of growing public concern as thousands of islanders rely on India Post not only for medicines but also for books, academic materials, passports and other government documents, bank-related correspondence, legal papers, business consignments, spare parts and other time-sensitive deliveries. The prolonged disruption is affecting students, professionals, businesses and ordinary citizens alike.
Amid increasing complaints on social media, India Post responded to one user’s query by explaining that the delays were caused by space constraints and a reduction in flight services to Port Blair. According to the department, mail bags destined for Port Blair accumulated at the Chennai Air Parcel Transit Mail Office (APTMO) and are being dispatched strictly in chronological order based on flight availability.
The department further advised customers to contact the Chennai National Sorting Hub (NSH) for further assistance and expressed regret for the inconvenience caused.
However, islanders believe that the explanation alone is not sufficient and have urged both the Andaman and Nicobar Administration and the Department of Posts to find an immediate solution. They have suggested that pending postal consignments should be transported through Administration-operated ships or private cargo vessels whenever air cargo capacity is insufficient, so that the backlog can be cleared and essential consignments reach the Islands without further delay.
With thousands of consignments reportedly awaiting transportation, residents are now calling for urgent intervention to restore a reliable postal supply chain and prevent further hardship to people across the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
