Rabindranath Biswas
Yeratta/Long Island, 22, January: The rundown Yeratta Jetty at Yeratta under Gram Panchayat Sabari is besieged by a number of problems. The age-old jetty caters to boats for carrying passengers from Long Island to Yeratta.
Talking to Andaman Sheekha Daily, Smti Madhura Ekka, Pradhan of Sabari outlined a series of problems plaguing the jetty. The jetty was reportedly constructed by P. Marine Department long ago, and thereafter literally no repair and maintenance was done to the jetty, as alleged by the Pradhan.
The jetty has deteriorated to such a condition that the boats are not berthed at the jetty, and a pontoon is placed instead to facilitate boarding and disembarking to and from the boat. However, the pontoon poses a number of risks as it eerily tilts side to side while boarding and disembarking the boat, she said. It is really risky for the elderly, children and pregnant women, the Pradhan rued.
Not only Most seriously, nobody seems to be bothered about the plight of the people in this region affected by the rundown jetty, she decried. Reportedly, another astonishing fact is that no Department has clearly taken responsibility for the maintenance and repair of the Yeratta Jetty, leaving her demoralized, she said.
On the other hand, the boat service reportedly remained suspended which put the people of Long Island in a severe inconvenient situation. They were reportedly forced to hire dinghies at higher rates to reach Nimbu Tala jetty for their daily needs and emergency requirements, she claimed.
The pradhan, raised the issue in her letter addressed to the Assistant Commissioner, Rangat on 2nd August 2024 and urged the local administration for repair and maintenance of the Yeratta Jetty for its safe and efficient operation and also for proper upkeep so as to prevent accident and thereby ensuring the jetty remains accessible and functional for boats and passengers alike, she informed. However, her pleas on this matter reportedly went unheard, she said.
Amidst this, the Pradhan of Sabari, along with other elected Members of the PRIs of Middle Andaman, has submitted a charter of demands, including the repair/construction of Yeratta Jetty for safe boarding and disembarking of boats plying between Long Island and Yeratta. If these demands are not met before 27/01/2025, they have threatened to hold a mass dharna on 28th January 2025.
