POLITICAL PARTIES DEMAND FOCUS ON REAL CYCLONE VICTIMS OF ANDAMAN
Sheekha Bureau
Port Blair, Dec 11: The cyclone Vardah has moved away from Andaman and Nicobar Islands but has left behind serious questions over the style of functioning of Andaman and Nicobar Administration.
General Public and Political leaders are now questioning whether the Andaman and Nicobar administration was too much focused on evacuating tourists than thinking about people of North and Middle Andaman, who had witnessed severe flood like situations, because of the rainfall brought by Cyclone Vardah.
While in North and Middle Andaman dozens and dozens of villages witnessed flood like situation and farmers suffered loss due to heavy rainfall, at Port Blair top officials were seen busy receiving evacuated tourists at air and sea port with flowers and taking photographs with them.
Even press releases issued by Andaman Administration primarily focused on evacuation of tourists from Havelock and Neil Island, where no tourist faced any threat of flooding.
“This is sad that evacuation of tourists was more important for Administration than looking after people of North and Middle Andaman, who suffered heavy losses because of Vardah Cyclone. Still there is no indication that when farmers will get suitable compensation,” alleged Sanjay Meshak the convener of Aam Aadmi Party’s Andaman unit.
Call it pressure of National media report or pressure from the business lobby associated with tourism industry, hardly any reference about heavy damages suffered by residents of North and Middle Andaman, was found in Andaman’s media releases. Even the government run newspaper in Andaman prominently focused on the tourist evacuation efforts of A & N Administration.
“There was no threat to tourists in Havelock or Neil Island as it was showcased in media reports. The prime focus of A & N Administration should have been towards people of North and Middle Andaman, where there was actual crisis,” Mr. B Chandrachoodan, the General Secretary of CITU, A & N Andaman told media today.
Meanwhile while expressing his sincere gratitude and appreciation to the Lt. Governor, A & N Islands, the Administration and to ANC for making special efforts for evacuation of tourists stranded at Havelock and Neil islands, the Pradesh Congress Committee has invited the attention of the Lt. Governor towards the problems of the farmers of these islands and demanded appropriate compensation to the farmers for the losses sustained to them due to heavy rain and cyclone.
“Heavy down pour since 5/12/2016 and cyclone storm Vardah led to water logging, flooding in different parts of Andaman & Nicobar Islands. The farmers of the islands are the worst affected as their paddy crops were submerged due to heavy rain and badly damaged. Similarly fruit bearing trees such as areca nut, coconut etc were uprooted by the cyclone storm Vardah at different areas all over the island. The farmers have sustained heavy loss due to heavy down pour and cyclone storm. In certain villages heavy damages have caused to their dwelling units and their live stocks, vegetables have also been vanished in the flooding. The farmers are in miserable condition and are in urgent need for help,” said Mr. Kuldeep Rai Sharma, the president of Andaman’s Pradesh Congress Committee, in a letter addressed to the Lt. Governor of A & N Islands.
Soon after formation of cyclone weather over Andaman and Nicobar Islands, because of Vardah, since 7th December, there was heavy pressure on Andaman and Nicobar Administration because of media reports in some National News Channels, many of which wrongly questioned whether Andaman and Nicobar Islands are sinking, thus creating panic among tourists and their relatives in Mainland India.
