John Wilbert
Port Blair, June 06: The Andaman and Nicobar Islands get large number of tourists every year, who visit various Islands. To provide assistance, a passenger terminal was setup at Junglighat Jetty by the Port Management Board for the tourists to provide assistance.
However, due to the absence of basic amenities at this terminal, tourists have been complaining about the same to the operators. People associated to the tourism industry in the Andamans complain that all the tourists that visit this passenger hall, always come back and complain about the unavailability of basic amenities in the passenger hall.
“We have been receiving complaints by our tour operators submitted by the tourists in Junglighat jetty that the basic infrastructure need has not been provided by the PMB. Almost 1,500 tourists transit daily from the Junglighat jetty for various Islands. However, they are not provided basic facilities like water in the passenger hall. They have to stand for a long time to wait for their turn because of limited number of chairs. The washrooms are not cleaned properly as well. The chairs in the hall are broken too, causing a majority of tourists to stand” complained Mr. Simson, who is the general secretary for ANTAO.
Emphasizing the need of a canteen in the waiting area, which is not currently available, Mr. Simson insists that the tourists deserve to be treated properly because the revenue of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands is majorly dependent on the tourism industry.
Talking to Andaman Sheekha another member of ANTAO, Mr. Senthil Kumar, also pointed out about the condition of Junglighat jetty. “A lot of my tourists also visit the Junglighat jetty. All the chairs of the passenger hall are broken. The guests question us about whether we were informed about the pathetic condition of the hall or not. I have also been to the Havelock jetty. The conditions of the passenger hall there are also similar. We should strive to cater to the needs of the tourists at all the times. Otherwise, the coming season will see a big drop in the number of tourists” he said.
M. Vinod, president of AATO told Andaman Sheekha that on one hand, there are no facilities for tourists in the passenger hall and on the other hand, the jetty is charging a fee for the usage of services which amounts to Rs. 50.
“It is sad to see the tourist pay for facilities that are not made available for them. Building a big passenger hall is not enough. Placing sufficient number of chairs, installing a canteen, keeping the washrooms clean will help in a better experience for the tourists” he said.
