1. Assessment of Rehabilitation Requirements in
Tsunami Affected Villages Of
ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR
Prepared By
Maj K C Monnappa
For
Oxfam Trust India – New Delhi
This report has been prepared by Maj KC Monnappa, mailto:monaps1@gmail.com, for Oxfam
Trust India, New Delhi purely for policy and strategy development use. This report in no way
claims to be authoritative and exhaustive.

2. 2
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION 4
SCOPE OF ASSESSMENT 4
TIME FRAME 5
ITINERARY 5
CONDUCT 5
GENERAL INFORMATION OF A&N ISLANDS 7
Location 7
Altitude (Highest Point) 7
Area 8
Length & Breadth 8
Distance 9
Administrative Unit 9
Climate 10
Population 10
Literacy rate 11
Climate 11
EARTH QUAKE & TSUNAMI 12
REPORT ON THE INDIGENOUS INHABITANTS OF THE
ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ISLANDS 14
THE NICOBARS --- A BRIEF HISTORY 17
TSUNAMI AND ITS EFFECTS 21
SEA WATER INGRESSION AND DAMAGE TO ISLANDS'
BEST CULTIVABLE LAND 27

3. 3
SEXUAL VIOLENCE 28
POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDERS 28
SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES 28
RELIEF EFFORT 29
REQUIREMENTS FOR REHABILITATION IN THE NICOBAR
GROUP OF ISLANDS 30
Tools (for temporary homes, wells, canoes and agriculture) 30
Connectivity and Communication 30
Temporary shelter 31
Conditions at various Relief Camps 31
BUREAUCRATIC INSENSITIVITY 34
RELIEF ORGANISATION IN ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR 35
ANDAMAN 35
NICOBAR 35
NGOS AND AGENCIES WHO ARE/HAVE UNDERTAKEN
RELIEF WORK IN THE ISALNDS 37
COMMUNICATION AND CHANNELS FOR ESTABLISHMENT
OF CONTACT 46
RECOMMENDATIONS 48
CONCLUSION 51

4. 4
INTRODUCTION
The Andaman & Nicobar are a group of picturesque Islands, big and small, inhabited and
uninhabited, a total of 572 islands, islets and rocks lying in the South Eastern Part of the Bay of
Bengal. They lie along an arc in long and narrow broken chain, approximately North-South over a
distance nearly 800 kms.
The overall purpose of this assessment was to assist Oxfam Trust New Delhi in identifying
needs for long-term disaster relief assistance. The report has been prepared on the basis of visits
made to the islands of Andaman and Nicobar between 21 and 28 June 2005. The figures reported (if
any) are not verified, are approximate and are intended purely to convey approximate quantities. The
information gathered and compiled is based on empirical observations made by the author at the
various sites visited by him. The interventions suggested are based on the experiences of the author
and various reference materials referred to on related subjects on the issue. Based on the terms of
reference provided, the author made an on - site assessment of:-
?? The nature of the disaster;
?? Secondary threats;
?? Effects on the population;
?? Means of delivering assistance;
?? Expected developments.
?? Build contact with authorities connected with relief and rehabilitation work.
?? Make recommendations for Oxfam Trusts program priorities and selection of
partners.
?? Assessment of the capacities of the local Organizations in the villages.
SCOPE OF ASSESSMENT
The author carried out the assessment by incorporating a combination of the following:-
(a) Needs Assessment
A Needs assessment was carried out with an aim to define the level and type of assistance
required for the affected population. This assessment aimed to further identify resources and
services for emergency measures to sustain the lives of the affected population. It was
conducted at the site of the disaster as well at the location of the displaced population. It also
aimed to identify the need for continued monitoring and reassessment of the unfolding
disaster.
(b) In-Depth/ Sectoral Assessment
An In - depth assessment to the best possible means available at hand was also attempted. It
started after the initial surveys and covered critical sectors that have to be addressed for
longer-term relief as well as rehabilitation and reconstruction assistance. The aim of the
present assessment does not replace a traditional inter-agency mission for an in-depth
analysis of long-term rehabilitation/reconstruction needs emanating from an emergency. The
author focused to determine the extent of the disaster and its impact on the population as well
as needs for assistance during the long-term relief phase with regard to advocacy, livelihood,
education, medical assistance, water supply, shelter and sanitation.

5. 5
TIME FRAME
The time planned for the entire survey was generally not sufficient owing to the following
factors:-
?? Inter island distances.
?? Travel restrictions.
?? Severe constraint in availability of appropriate mode of transport.
?? Miscellaneous.
ITINERARY
Owing to the above restraining factors, the author took a considered decision of visiting the
islands based on the following assumptions –
?? Islands that were affected the most
?? Islands that are restricted to NGOs for various reasons.
?? Islands where relief and rehabilitation efforts cannot be not monitored to the extent
desirable.
The following Islands were visited by the author:-
?? Car Nicobar.
?? Trinket.
?? Chowra.
?? Bompoka.
?? Teressa.
?? Katchal.
?? Kamorta.
?? Nancowrie.
Other reasons that prompted the author to concentrate on the above mentioned Islands were
also influenced by the fact that whereas Islands in the Andaman region or for that matter even those
located in the southern group were generally inundated with a number of NGOs and relief camps, but
the islands of Car Nicobar were generally out of the purview of both the media and the NGOs due to
inexplicable reasons.
The itinerary consisted of visiting the affected islands and carry out the requisite surveys. The
entire journey was executed by road and sea.
CONDUCT
The assessment was conducted using the following techniques:-
(a) Meeting with the local authority.
(b) Walk through of areas.
(c) Visit to markets, schools, community centres.
(d) Listening to people.
(e) Asking questions.

6. 6
(f) Triangulating information with different group of people.

7. 7
GENERAL INFORMATION OF A&N ISLANDS
Port Blair, the capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, is 120 miles from Cape Negrais
in Burma, 780 from Calcutta and 749 from Madras. Located some 1200 kms off the east coast of
India, the Nicobar islands are part of the larger Andaman and Nicobar archipelago, forming a north
to south arched chain of 850 kms in the Bay of Bengal.
The 512 islands with an area of 8249 Km houses outstanding tropical diversity. Although
taxonomic surveys are still far from complete, biologists have already identified some 250 species of
birds, 85 species of reptiles, 17 species of ambhibians, 60 species of mammals and thousands of
invertebrates and plants. The littoral and marine environments of the archipelago are no less varied
and include essential nesting beaches for four species of endangered sea turtles, seagrass beds which
support the rare dugong or sea cow and one of the world's largest mangrove ecosystems with
extensive networks of mangrove creeks inhabited by saltwater crocodiles and the giant water monitor
lizard. The islands are also fringed by spectacular coral reefs which support thousands of species of
fish, coelentrates, molluscs, crustaceans and sea snakes (ANET, 1998).
Concomitant to this enchanting ecological diversity, the islands are also home to six
aboriginal tribes, two of which are still hunter-gatherers and employ bows and arrows to safeguard
their territories from the outside world. These original inhabitants belong to two major groups;
Negrito and Mongoloid. The Negrito tribes, namely Great Andamanese, Jarawa, Sentinelese and
Onges inhabit the Andaman islands and the Nicobarese and the Shompens of the mongoloid group
belong to the Nicobar islands. The densely clustered Andaman Islands and the widely scattered
Nicobar islands are separated by the 10-degree channel (situated on the 10 degree latitude), which is
known for its notorious sea currents where many a small vessels have disappeared into the depths of
the ocean in the past.
A large part of the Andamans that are inhabited by the four tribes and the entire Nicobar group has
been declared as a tribal reserve and entry has been restricted to these areas under the Protection of
Aboriginal Tribes Regulation (PATR) of 1956.
Location
Location Bay of Bengal
Longitude 920
to 940
East
Latitude 60
to 140
North
Altitude (Highest Point)
Andaman Islands
Saddle Peak (North Andaman Island) 732 Metres
Nicobar Islands
Mount Thullier (Great Nicobar
Island)
642 Metres

8. 8
Area
Total Area Sq.km 8249
Andaman District ‘ 6408
Nicobar District ‘ 1841
URBAN AREA ‘ 16.64
RURAL AREA ‘ 8232.36
Length & Breadth
Length and Breadth of Andaman Islands
Total Length 467kms
Maximum Width 52 Kms
Average Width 24kms
Length and Breadth of Nicobar Islands
Total Length 259 Kms
Maxiimum Width 58 Kms
Biggest Island in Andaman Group
Middle Andaman Island 1536 Sq.Km
Biggest Island in Nicobar Group
Great Nicobar Island 1045 Sq.Km.
Smallest Island in Andaman Group
Ross Island 0.8 Sq Km.

9. 9
Smallest Island in Nicobar Group
Pilomillow Island 1.3 Sq.Km
Distance
Distance by Sea (In Kms.)
Between Port Blair & Chennai 1190
Between Port Blair & Calcutta 1255
Between Port Blair & Vishakapatnam 1200
Distance by Air Kms.
Between Calcutta & Port Blair 1303
Between Chennai & Port Blair 1330
Administrative Unit
Administrative Unit No.
District 2
Sub-Division 4
Tahsil 7
Town 1
C.D.Block 5
Lok Sabha Seat 1
Municipal Council 1
Municipal Ward 18
Panchayat 67
Police Station 15
Panchayat Samiti 07
Zilla Parishad 01

10. 10
Island/ Village Nos.
Revenue Village 204
Census Village 547
Inhabited Village 504
Uninhabited Village 43
Inhabited Island 36
Climate
Normal Rainfall at Port Blair 3180 mm
Actual Rainfall at Port Blair during 2003 2443.0 mm
Rainy days at Port Blair during 2003 130
Mean Minimum Temperature at Port
Blair during 2003
24.20
Celcius
Mean Maximum Temperature at Port
Blair during 2003
30.40
Celcius
Mean Relative Humidity at Port Blair
During 2003
80%
Population
1971 1981 1991 2001
TOTAL POPULATION 115133 188741 280661 356265
Male 70027 107261 154369 192985
Female 45106 81480 126292 163280
RURAL POPULATION 88915 139107 205706
Male 53195 78401 111986
Female 35720 60706 93720
URBAN POPULATION 26218 49634 74955
Male 16832 28860 42383
Female 9386 20774 32572

11. 11
RELIGION-WISE POPULATION
Religion 1971 1981 1991
Hindu 70134 121793 189521
Christian 30342 48274 67211
Muslim 11655 16188 21354
Sikh 865 991 1350
Buddhist 103 127 322
Jain 14 11 17
Others 2020 1357 886
Literacy rate
(As per Census of India - 1st March 2001)
Male Female Total
A & N Islands 75.85% 65.38% 65.38%
Climate
Rainfall (Average) per Annum 3180 mm (Approx)
Maximum (Average) Temperature (Annual) 31.7ºC
Minimum (Average) Temperature (Annual) 22.1ºC
Relative Humidity 70-90%
Rainy Days in a Year (Average) 154
Average Sunshine Hrs
Maximum
Minimum
250 hrs (December to April)
113 hrs (September)
Agro- Climate Zone 1
Climate Tropical Humid

12. 12
EARTH QUAKE & TSUNAMI
A severe earthquake measuring 8.9 Richter scale was felt in Andaman and Nicobar Islands
having epicenter at 3.7N and 95E off the island of Sumatra between 0630 to 0635 hrs in the morning
on 26th December 2004. The quake was followed by a few tremors subsequently also.
The severe earthquake was followed by high tidal waves, which caused extensive damages in
Port Blair harbour; tidal waters flooded Jetties at Aberdeen, Phoenix Bay, Junglighat and Haddo.
Two boats sunk at the jetty before any measures could be taken. The Marine Dockyards were
extensively damaged and four ships which were under servicing tilted and damaged extensively.
The earthquake & tidal waves, have also caused extensive damages & causalities in southern
group of islands from Hutbay to Campbell bay. The extent of damage, loss of life and property in Car
Nicobar was unprecedented.

13. 13
Epicentre: 42 kms N of Bazunazerah (Simuelue Island), Indonesia
Origin Time: 00:58:50 UTC (06:28:50 IST)
Latitude: 03.298 N
Longitude: 95.778 E
Depth: 10.0 kms below the surface of the sea
Magnitude: 8.9 on Richter scale
The worst affected islands are Car Nicobar, Katchal, Nan Cowry, Trinket and Little and
Great Nicobar Islands. A large number of the affected have been transported to specially prepared
ethnic camps in Port Blair. In this territory, there are six Scheduled Tribes namely Onges, Jarawas,
Sentinelese, Great Andamanese, Shompens and Nicobarese. Leaving aside the Nicobarese, the other
five tribes have been classified as Primitive Tribal Groups. Visits to these islands, except Campbell
Bay, by persons Indian and foreigners, are permissible only with prior sanction of the local
administration.

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REPORT ON THE INDIGENOUS INHABITANTS OF
THE ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ISLANDS
The archipelagos of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands have suffered greatly during the recent
earthquakes and the subsequent tsunami. This is more so in the Nicobar Islands than in the Andaman
group of islands, given their proximity to the island of Sumatra and the epicenter of the earthquakes.
The Islands have gone through submergence and upheaval of landmasses giving rise to changes in
terrestrial and marine environments of the islands. The indigenous inhabitants of the Andaman
Islands are the few remaining Great Andamanese on Strait Island, Onge of Little Andaman Island,
the Jarawa of South & Middle Andaman Islands, and the Sentinelese of North Sentinel Island. All of
these groups in contact with the A&N administration (apart from the Sentinelese who continue to be
resistive and hold their own ground) have claimed to have run to higher ground with the beginning of
the earthquakes.
This they claim is orally transmitted generational knowledge given past events in their
historical experience which has taught them the nuances of survival in their Island environment.
Apart from running to higher ground, an act that was perpetrated during this situation is worth
mentioning, all Jarawa with bows and arrows struck the ground with these shafts to reduce the
intensity of the earthquake and increase chances of their survival on higher ground!!
The Great Andamanese who number about 40 people are the remnants of former larger
groups of tribes on the Andaman Islands who have been resettled by the Govt. of India since 1956 on
Strait Island. Apart for the few, who are employed in various Govt. departments, the rest of them
were on their Island on the 26th of December. They had moved to a hill adjacent to their settlement
and remained there until they were evacuated to Port Blair to ensure their safety. The entire group is
at present at Port Blair at the Adi Basera - a rest station specifically made for the indigenous tribes
during their infrequent visits to Port Blair.
The Onge live at Dugong Creek in the north and South Bay on Little Andaman Island. When
the earthquakes struck they had moved to higher ground deep inside their forest and escaped the fury
of the waves that entered the settlements. South Bay has been badly damaged though Dugong creek
is inundated but not as badly devastated. One Onge woman and her newborn child are at Port Blair's
GB Pant Hospital recuperating from childbirth.
The Jarawa reserve which extends along the West Coast of South and Middle Andaman
Islands had also run inland; moreover this being the season to hunt wild boar most of them were
inland deep in the tropical evergreen jungle that is common throughout their habitat. At present quite
a few Jarawa tribe's people have assembled together near the southern most extremity of the reserve
close to Tirur settlement at a large communal hut. This has encouraged poachers from the Wandoor
and Kadamtala regions who have already arrived from and returned back to the reserve for wild Boar
and spotted deer. One of the tsunami-affected families is supplementing their income with wild boar
from the Jarawa reserve at Wandoor village. Apparently those Jarawa who did not strike the ground
with arrow shafts or metal, have been temporarily restricted from communing with the regrouped
persons and these persons are near Tirur village. The Andaman Trunk Road that runs through the
reserve has not been severely damaged excepting for broken culvert retaining walls and a landslide at
two places. Vehicular traffic is restricted to small cars and motorbikes.
The Sentinelese have shown their resilience and do not seem to have faced much problems
during the Tsunami events and even shot arrows at a naval Helicopter on patrol which had descended

15. 15
to check on their well being. The Island of North Sentinel has seen an upheaval of the landmass
especially the surrounding coral reef and has thus increased terra firma of the island but damaging a
once pristine reef.
The Nicobar islanders have been the worst sufferers of these events on and after December
26th. Car Nicobar Island is the district headquarters and also an airbase. This saw the attention of the
world focus around here while other regions were neglected for about 4 days before rescue missions
were in place. There has been considerable submergence in this region with coastlines having
changed with massive ingress of the sea and the submergence of all coastal flat lands. Pulomilo
Island that was once ensconced within Little Nicobar Island is now submerged except for a small
hilltop that housed a marine navigational beacon; it is a similar case with Chowra Island, a large
portion of the Island being submerged and only a few survivors remain. The western coasts of Great
and Little Nicobar have been partially submerged wiping out communities who once inhabited the
region.
The Shompen who live inland and deep in the forest (of Great Nicobar) have so far known
not to have suffered any causalities.
In the Central Nicobars the Islands of Trinket and Katchal have split with wide cracks and
many inhabitants are presumed dead. At Kamorta island relief camps are present in many places
catering to the displaced and affected inhabitants. The evacuees from Chowra and Car Nicobar
Island (in the northern Nicobars) are at camps at Port Blair and on Car Nicobar Island. Those
survivors from the southern Nicobars are at Campbell bay on Great Nicobar Island.
Satellite picture showing the islands of Trinket, Chowra, Katchal, Nancowrie, etc
being engulfed in sea water
A lot of islanders are known to be living in the jungle of Car Nicobar. The Tsunami and
earthquakes have caused a loss of lives to such an extent that only a few survivors of a few tribal

16. 16
groups remain; this is the case largely from Chowra and from the southern Nicobars. Despite this
many Car Nicobarese have begun to return from Port Blair to Car Nicobar, and have been expressing
the view of a need to restart their lives afresh and to also restrict ownership of space on their islands
compared to the uncontrolled immigration of the past.
One of future concerns is the ability of fragmented communities especially of Great and
Little Nicobar islands, Chowra Island, to be able to reoccupy their former space; apart from
submerged regions, existing landscapes are largely hilly and thickly forested slopes of considerable
gradients. Ariel pictures show a devastated landscape devoid of all trees that are now floating in
muddy water with a complete transformation of topography and contour of Island coastlines. Given
the fact that the traditional lifestyle of horticulture will take a long while to resume, in the event of
complete damage, an alternative to this form of livelihood will have to be adopted.

17. 17
THE NICOBARS --- A BRIEF HISTORY
As the area of emphasis of the surveyor has been the Nicobar group of Islands, this report
intends to portray the same by highlighting the various facets and effects the tsunami has wrought in
to the population. In the Nicobars, there are 19 islands of which 13 are inhabited by about 12,000
aboriginal tribes. Most of them live in Car Nicobar, the northern most of the archipelago. The Great
Nicobar covers half of the total area, which is almost uninhabited. The Nicobars can be
geographically classified as northern, central and southern groups. Generally belonging to the
mongoloid race, it is not known how and when the islands were peopled. Many scholars trace their
origin either to Sumatra, Burma and Malaysia that evolved on its own with little or no interference
from outside for a long time until recently. Some literatures point out the intermingling of the natives
with that of the people of Burma, China and Malaysia who often visited these islands for trade. This
is quite apparent in the central and southern groups that have Chinese and Malay influence in the
features of the Nicobarese. The first island in the northern group is that of Car Nicobar, the most
densely populated in all the islands of Nicobars and also now the district headquarter. Falling on an
important ancient sea route to South East Asia and having abundance of food and sweet water supply
for the replenishment of sailors, many a ships anchored near Car Nicobar under the pretext of trade
with the islanders. Hence, of the 13 inhabited islands, Car Nicobar has had the most outside contact
with traders, mariners, colonizers and missionaries since olden days.
The islands of Chowra, Teressa and Bompoka fall next in line south of Car Nicobar. Chowra
is the only island in the entire Nicobar group of islands that mastered the art of making fine pottery
and canoes. Besides, it carried a fearful reputation for possessing immense magical skills which
forbade anyone in the Nicobars from making or using any other pottery other than that made in
Chowra. In this respect, Chowra used to dominate inter-island trade where pottery and canoes were
concerned. To quote from the Andaman and Nicobar Imperial Gazetteer of India of 1909, ‘Chowra is
the holy land, the cradle of the race, where men are wizards, a belief that the inhabitants of Chowra
turn to good account for keeping the control of the internal trade in their own hands’. Chowra makes
even pottery today, but is primarily used on festive occassions for cooking food. The industrial
aluminum pots are fast replacing the use of traditional pottery of Chowra. The central group,
generally called Nancowry, consists of the islands of Nancowry, Kamorta, Katchal and Trinket. The
Nancowry harbour, being one of the safest natural harbours in the world, attracted the attention of
European colonisers since the 16th
century namely the Portuguese, the Dutch, the Danes and finally
the British before becoming part of Independent India in 1947.
The southern group consists of the inhabited islands of Kondul, Pilomillow, and Little
Nicobar with the terminal point being reached in the island of Great Nicobar. That part of Great
Nicobar, which is called Indira point, represents the southern most tip of India.
The inhabitants of the Nicobars according to the estimates of the ongoing 2001 census are a
little over 30,000, the majority being that of the Nicobarese tribe. Though the Nicobarese commonly
belong to the mongoloid race of people and have common language roots in the Mon-khymer group
of languages, they can be clearly classified into six distinct dialect groups, such that the inhabitants
of one group can hardly converse with that of the other. Starting from north to south, the first group
consists of the inhabitants of Car Nicobar, the second being that of Chowra, third being that of
Teressa & Bompoka together, fourth consisting of the inhabitants of the islands of Katchal, Kamorta,
Nancowry and Trinket together, the fifth being that of Kondul, Pilomillow and Little Nicobar
together and the sixth being that of the Nicobarese settled on the west coast of Great Nicobar.
Besides language variations, there are sometimes strong variations in most forms of cultural
expressions, social organisation, kinship system, art and craft, etc. among and within geographically
large groups.

18. 18
Traditionally horticulturalists, the Nicobarese raise pigs and chickens, and live off the
abundant food resources available on their islands and in the sea. Their garden consists of a variety of
crops like bananas, yam, papaya and jackfruit. Besides, the Nicobarese select from a large variety of
wildly available range of edible leaves, tubers and fruits (e.g. pandanus, cycas, coconuts, arecanuts
etc.). Some of the food, from both sea and land, is available all the year round, but there are yet many
that are connected to the seasons, chiefly the dry and the rainy. The seasons are marked by a shift in
the direction of winds. The rainy season starts with the onset of the southwest monsoon winds in the
month of May-June and the partially dry season is announced with the beginning of the northeast
winds in October-November. The completely dry season is experienced only from January to April.
The Nicobar Islands
Christianity had started to take roots in the early 1920s when the first group of Nicobari boys
returned to Car Nicobar from Rangoon (Burma) after receiving education and training in missionary
work. John Richardson, later Bishop in 1950 and first Member of Parliament from Nicobars in
independent India, was prominent among them. He became the most dynamic force in the lives of the
Nicobarese and became responsible for what the Nicobarese are today. In 1936 the first Anglican
Church was constructed on Car Nicobar and an era of Christianity and social transformation hitherto
unknown began.
The introduction of currency in the 1950s, growing contact with the global economy together
with the development efforts by the administration have had an adverse effect on the delicate, self-
regulatory relationship of the Nicobarese with their environment. There is now little need to keep in
tune with nature since life resources are easily available from the outside world through trade and

19. 19
aid. Hence, with the gradual eclipsing of indigenous values and knowledge systems by those based
on the rationality of science, unsustainable trends on the islands have triggered off.
From an entirely subsistence society, the Nicobarese are today dependent on a large amount
of imports and exports with mainland India. Coconuts, which in olden times were only used as part
of their diet, feeding their pigs and occasional bartering with passing traders in exchange of rice, iron
and cloth is now the main cash economy together with arecanuts. Coconut today is heavily exported
in the form of copra (dehydrated coconut ready for oil extraction) in exchange for food supplies and
other previously not so necessary commodities. While exports consists of renewable and bio-
degradable products, the imports are mostly just the opposite like fossil fuels, metals and ores and
other construction material, a wide range of electronic gadgets, chemical products, vehicles, plastics,
batteries, pesticides etc.
The new material culture representative of today’s industrialised world presently acts as a
powerful dynamic force for the constant increase in the material and energetic throughput of the
islands. The use of traditional building materials for construction of huts are on the decline and are
being fast replaced by imported concrete. The switch from the direct bartering of coconuts as in
olden times to the new production method of making copra has further imposed a drain on the
ecosystem since a huge amount of wood energy (900 grams of firewood to produce one kilo of
copra) is required to bake the coconuts over fire before exporting.
Dietary patterns too have undergone tremendous transformation. Pandanus, the main source
of carbohydrates in olden times is replaced by imported rice. Horticulture, or the planting of food
gardens is limited only to a few households since the young generation are gradually taking a strong
dislike for yams, potatoes, tubers, bananas, jackfruit and other garden and forest produce. There is a
strong affinity for rice, lentils, spicy curries and cooked seafood.
And the most unfortunate of all changes is the fast colonization of their lands and economy
by mainland South Indian immigrants. Originally coming to the islands as contractors, temporary
construction labourers and government employees for various development projects and for local
administration, most of them have stayed behind by starting their own small enterprises, marrying
tribal girls or becoming employed with those who already became established. In the central group,
the population of non-tribals have risen from 1401 in 1971 to 4268 in 1991, (official census) almost
the same as that of the tribals now. It has been calculated that the influx of non-tribals is growing at
the rate of 15% per year. This is despite the fact that the Nicobars is a strictly prohibited area under
the Protection of Aboriginal Tribes Regulation (PATR) of 1956.
Even more unfortunate is the fact that these illegal settlers have powerful political clout
because of their number and have been always patronised in establishing trading enterprises to export
copra, arecanuts and other marine resources from these islands and in turn import food and other
necessary commodities. Needless to say that such economic monopolisation have rendered the
simple tribals helpless who have little knowledge of the tactics of mainland business. Under these
circumstances, the traders arbitrarily fix copra and arecanut prices and so the simpler ones have
forever entered a cycle of debt.
At the same time, the growing population of the Nicobarese has not been left with many
economic options within their own islands. No longer subsistence, they are dependent to a large
extent on the whims and fancies of the world market. Fluctuation of prices and demand for copra and
arecanuts far from their islands affect their everyday lives. Due to lack of entrepreneurial skills and
knowledge of trade, they stand nowhere as compared to the opportunistic non-tribal settlers.
Additionally, they face an ever-growing threat to be exiled from their own lands by the immigrant
population.

20. 20
Besides external threats, there are undercurrents of internal cultural colonization and building
up of a social hierarchy as a result of inter-group and inter-island dynamics. For example, Car
Nicobar, that has been exposed most to the outside world since long is considered socially and
culturally superior to all other groups. To have the knowledge of Car Nicobarese language has the
same importance as one that knows English in mainland India. Similarly, Nancowry is considered
socially superior to that of Kondul and Pilomillow of the southern group.
The covetous gaze of western style development, missionary work, the global economy and
the consequent triumph of the Cartesian paradigm over the metaphysics of participating
consciousness has set the Nicobars to experience a new kind of material and social culture. Are the
Nicobarese happy? This would be an appropriate question to ask.

21. 21
TSUNAMI AND ITS EFFECTS
The tsunami of 26 December has further complicated the issue of identity and sustainability
of the Nicobarese. The most affected by the Tsunami disaster are the Nicobarese. Of the previous
30,000 Nicobarese, reports suggest that one-third have been washed out by the Tsunami waves, and
the remaining have lost their homes, property and coconut plantations on which they live. Despite
this enormous loss, most of the relief efforts have been concentrated in the Northern Group of
Islands. Three reasons are attributed to this. First, the Nicobars is located in a relatively remote area
and when tsunami struck the lines of communication were down, second the Nicobarese do not have
much political clout to have their voice heard, third, since 1956, the Nicobar Islands have been a
protected area under the Protection of Aboriginal Tribes Regulation, and also for reasons of national
security. As a result, the local administration has so far not permitted many relief organisations to
enter the Nicobars. But this scenario is likely to be changed as negotiations with local NGOs to assist
in the reconstruction of the islands are on. The author also confirmed the same during his interaction
with the officiating Chief Relief Commissioner, District Commissioner Andaman and Officiating
District Commissioner Nicobar. The author was told that about ten NGOs mostly local were
operating in the island. The author personally interacted with two --- Bhartiya Jain Sangathan (BJS)
and UNICEF. BJS was supposed to be helping out the administration in the construction of the
Public Health Services Outlets and Schools. UNICEF was looking after the sanitation aspects.
Despite the presence of a negligible number of NGOs, no evidence of the promised temporary
shelters for the affected villagers was in site. This has set a mood of despondency amongst the
Nicobarese because of the inevitable onset of the monsoons. While the Tsunami was in itself a
traumatic experience for most, what has followed is even more traumatic. This is true especially for
the inhabitants of Bompoka, Chowra, and Trinket, the three islands in the Central Nicobars that were
badly damaged and are now seen as unfit for habitation.
What stands out from the survey of these islands is the fact that each of these inhabited
islands is at various stages of transition and development. While the inhabitants of the southern group
are still largely hunter-and-gatherers, those in the northern group are a semi-agrarian community
engaged in horticulture and copra trade. The Nicobarese of the central group are somewhere in
between but under the economic influence of the Car Nicobarese, who were the first to link up with
the market economy through the export of copra and betel nuts.
Mus Village (Car Nicobar). ‘Leave us alone. We can manage on our own. We
don't need biscuits and chips. We need to make our homes and plant our gardens. Give us tools, if
you wish to help us’, is what Mr Thomas Phillip, first Captain of Mus Village had to say. Some
tribals are even of the opinion that outside interference and non-indigenous settlers are the cause of
their sufferings, only triggered by the Tsunami. ‘This is our land. Please leave us alone. Otherwise
we are sure to die’, says Charles, a young youth.
One of the most essential belongings of any Nicobari (or indeed of any indigenous
community) is a set of tools. With the Tsunami having washed away this important capital, the
Nicobarese are unable to undertake the necessary steps towards self-rehabilitation. It is distressing
that the importance of tools for the Nicobarese was not recognized as an important precondition for
temporary rehabilitation. Furthermore, the tools that have arrived are ‘useless’, in the words of
Thomas Phillip. He angri1y burst out at the government officials when they said that the axes had
arrived. ‘This is not what we want’. It is distressing to have to state that one of the most basic
requirements of the Nicobarese; tools for reconstruction (shovels, axes, hammers, nails, etc) still have
not arrived in sufficient quantities three months after the Tsunami.

22. 22
Mus village, jetty
Mr. Phillip further added that the concern of the Administration to rehabilitate the Nicobarese
in a suitable and safe environment is not being doubted. However, he rightly emphasizes that any
such process must accompany, even for a well-intentioned person, a certain level of sensitivity in
what is socially and culturally appropriate as well. The new design of houses being promoted by the
Administration for temporary rehabilitation involves aluminum pipes, large quantities of nuts and
bolts and CGI sheets. An architect in collaboration with a seismic expert apparently made the design.
The Captain says, the Nicobari huts are most suited to survive earthquakes. The design of our houses
is scientifically proven by local architects to be well suited to an earthquake-prone zone and other
natural conditions such as climate, ecology, and resource availability. The argument is a genuine one.
He wanted to know a few answers --- What makes us think that the Nicobarese have forgotten to
make their huts after the Tsunami? Where will all the aluminum pipes after the temporary
rehabilitation be dumped? What are the ecological consequences of this? If they are to become
permanent structures, who will ensure a sustained supply of these materials for repair and
maintenance? Who will pay for them? In short, is this economically and ecologically viable?
Furthermore the concepts of ‘temporary’ and ‘permanent’ are alien to the Nicobarese. They are
longing to establish a home, to re-establish their roots, and to have a sense of belonging to a place.
They are not material objects that can be moved from here to there at will. If the administration is
committed to comfort them in any way, there must first be a sensitive recognition of their needs,

23. 23
allow them the necessary dignity to choose, and show respect for their capacity to deal with the
forces of life.
Mr. Phillip further astounded me when he shared with me his idea of resettlement and
rehabilitation. He said that the tsunami along with destruction has offered them a wonderful
opportunity to start life anew. He said that his intention and idea of permanent construction should be
such that the settlements should have an inherent capability to harvest fresh rain water that the island
offers in abundance and that an intricate system of drainage should be devised so that they could
connect to a biogas plant which could then convert the same into use gas to be used for cooking. He
spoke of killing more then two birds with a single stone---- he had solved the problem of fresh water,
the felling of trees for fuel, the inherent pollution due to the garbage generated and the important
issue of sustainable development. I wondered as to where had the so called planners gone wrong with
all their scientific education, Captain Thomas could sure teach all our administrators a lesson or two
in planning and sustainable development!!!
Bompoka. Kephus, the captain of island, is unable to understand why he cannot return to
his island. He has very clear plans on what he and his people intend to do once they return. After
building their shelters, they will establish a horticultural garden with bananas, pineapples, jackfruits,
and various other fruits and vegetables. ‘If we plant these before the monsoons, we can feed
ourselves from next March or April. We will sell fish, fruits and vegetables to the non-tribal
population living in some of the villages on Teressa and with the cash we get we can buy a few
necessities from the market. But we have to hurry. This is a good time to start planting’, says Kephus
in consternation. Unfortunately, what stops Kephus and his people is the lack of boats, and
government permission to return. The anxiety to begin a new life and fend for themselves, despite so
recent a trauma, reflects the resilience of the Nicobarese in the face of tragedy along with a singularly
strong determination that life must go on, government or no government. One may wonder at the
ease with which the Nicobarese may be misunderstood if you see them chewing paan and gazing for
hours into the ocean without a twitch - and realize that this is not laziness but their modesty with
which they have merged with and adapted to their environment.
Chowra. A small flat island with a high population density and limited natural
resources had a pre-Tsunami population of 1,464, now reduced to 1,408. The relatively low number
of casualties was completely unexpected. In view of the Tsunami's behaviour in Car Nicobar, the
complete destruction of Chowra was initially feared. However, when rescue operations ended on
Chowra on 4th January, it was found that ‘only’ 56 had died. The waves had not spared the rest of
the population: most of them had been washed out to sea however they being sea people, managed to
fight the gigantic waves and swim back to land. Till now, they are the only group in the Nicobars that
have maintained a strong cultural identity despite outside interventions. It is known throughout the
archipelago that the people of Chowra have remained opposed to we1fare and development programs
promoted by the Administration until recently. To the people of Chowra, their identity and culture,
inextricably linked to their land, are endowed with magic and has been foremost in all contact with
the outside world.
For the first time, the people of Chowra have now been separated from their land. Following
the rescue operations, all inhabitants of Chowra and Bompoka were moved to relief camps on the
Island of Teressa. Having spent two unhappy months there, they now wish to return to their islands
and start a new life. But, unfortunately, they are not allowed to do so. In a meeting that was
organized by the Administration on Teressa in early February, discussions were held with the Chief
Captain of Chowra, Jonathan. The Administration urged Jonathan to stay in their new home on
Teressa and tend to their plantations on Chowra, at least during the temporary rehabilitation phase.
The main argument put forth by the Administration was the lack of water on Chowra. Jonathan failed
to understand why this should be an issue after the Tsunami. Chowra had always faced water

24. 24
scarcity, no solution to which had ever been found or sought by the Administration, so why should
this suddenly be an issue now? Jonathan expects nothing from the Administration. He said that the
desalinization plant that had been set up at one point worked only for a short while. It never got
repaired or serviced when it broke down. His people had managed well in the past and they could do
so now. Two weeks after that meeting, Jonathan, in a letter, still begged for boats ‘to return to
Chowra for at least seven days to collect our left belongings ... before the (southwest) winds, because
then there will be many problems once this wind starts. We have to reach Chowra before that’.
Apparently when an official assessment team visited Chowra for the first time on 28th February, it
was surprised to find that conditions on Chowra were much better than in most other villages/islands.
Unfortunately, it had taken three months to realize this.
Kamorta. Ever since the Tsunami, Thomas Ton, the Chief of Island for the past 20
years has been weak with depression. His village, Munack, is the only place where the old huts still
adorn the coastline. This is a miracle since the waves here crashed into the coastline with heights of
20 meters. Thomas had heard of Tsunamis from his grandfather and that it will come again. But he
had forgotten about it. ‘After the earthquake, I remembered the warning given by my father. After the
earthquake, everybody ran out of their houses and gathered on the seashore. I warned them to move
away from the seashore. Then everybody went into the jungle’. Fortunately, there were no casualties
in Munack.

25. 25
Kamorta jetty
Yet the loss of so many other lives and the present anguish of those surviving is beyond his
capacity. The once lively chieftain sat melancholic, smoothening feebly a piece of wood that will be
part of his new shelter some 100 meters inland. ‘The people are fighting’ he nods sadly, ‘they think
that the world is coming to an end, they are scared, they feel insecure, hence they are fighting among
themselves. Little things get them agitated.’ Thomas is extremely sad and tries to advise his people
not to fight. ‘Some people (outsiders) are just waiting to attack and take away our land. So we should
not fight. We must stay united; otherwise outsiders will take advantage and attack. We are too few.
We cannot fight back.’ Gripped by despair, Thomas still finds a ray of hope, that is, the revival of the
old system based on values and a traditional way of life. ‘If the old system is not adopted, things will
go from bad to worse.’
Trinket. Fortifer, the captain of island, gazes for hours at his island in total blankness.
He cannot believe that his village, located in the low-lying parts of the island, is no more. Once
where a beautiful village stood, roars the ocean amidst a handful of palms that remain standing. His
people wish to return, but where? The village land is washed away. Some families who own parts of
the high grasslands are keen to return and set up a plantation before the monsoons. But there is no
water until the rain actually arrives that will eventually charge the small seasonal streams. The
thought of his village disintegrating is something most distressing to Fortifer. Fortunately, he has
enough land on Kamorta, facing Trinket, which has offered to the people for setting up a new
Trinket.

26. 26
Trinket
At least they can all be together, and yet maintain their plantations on Trinket. The new place
is renamed from Vikasnagar to New Laful (the Nicobarese name for Trinket). However, grief still
grips most of them. ‘I wish to send my two little sisters to Port Blair to school. They have stopped
playing’ says Samson, the son of the former chief, a dear friend of mine who was taken away by the
waves. They hope to return to Trinket one day but until then, all they can do is to occasionally cast a
glimpse on what is left across the sea. But some cannot wait. Says Amber, the young leader of
Trinket representing 11 families ‘we can survive on our own. We don't need anything from the
Government. Please let us go’.
Katchal. An island that lost about 5,000 of its inhabitants, is still experiencing tremors. The
island has lost nearly 30% of its land to the sea. The same is now under water. Driving through the
remaining coastline shows a desolate look. Everything has been flattened, and what remains is rubble
and a sad tale of loss and grief. Several even refuse to look at the sea - it reminds them of their family
members who drowned with no possibility to help. The Nicobarese, at first terribly shocked, are now
extremely agitated in the relief camps. They feel suffocated in this new environment where stingy
supply of goods only takes away their dignity and makes them look like beggars.

27. 27
Katchal
It is interesting to note that a community that has been described by the British and Indians
alike as ‘lazy’ can be so agitated without work. Time and again, the Nicobarese have been
demanding tools so that they can begin making their shelter and plant their gardens to ensure food for
the coming year. None are waiting for the government to come and make their homes, and none are
expecting the government to feed them for years.
SEA WATER INGRESSION AND DAMAGE TO ISLANDS' BEST CULTIVABLE LAND
Almost endemic to all the islands is the terrible catastrophe of the cultivable area affected
under tidal submergence due to tsunami, which is estimated to be in the range of 4500 - 5000
hectares. 68 villages are reported to have been affected in terms of seawater ingression. The soil
salinity has increased manifold in the low-lying coastal areas because of inundation by seawater and
it has caused extensive damage to some best available cultivable land in the islands. Experts hinted at
the possibility of drastic change in soil microflora particularly in the inundated areas. There is drastic
increase in the incidence of coconut rhinoceros beetle in Nicobar group of islands for which
integrated pest management has to be adopted in big way.
A note of caution has been sounded about the scarcity of fodder due to submergence of
grazing and fodder land due to tsunami seawater ingression, which may lead to reduction in milk

28. 28
yield among diary cattle and buffalo. The incursion of tidal waves may also render the islands into a
state of poor livestock and poultry health care status apart from the general weakness of the cattle.
Quite a big number of cattle and poultry population has been lost due to recent disaster. As reported
by the Department of AH & VS, the lives of about 5000 cattle, 33000 poultry, 25850 pigs, 7500 goat
and 14 buffaloes were lost in Car Nicobar. Similarly, in South Andaman area, 78 cattle, 75 buffalo,
308 goats, 9700 poultry and 12 pigs were lost in the aftermath of the Tsunami.
Experts are of the view that alternative-farming system has to be worked out and
diversification of the cropping system will have to be resorted to in the prevailing situation.
SEXUAL VIOLENCE
The author on his visits to certain relief camps was briefed about certain incidences of rape
and large scale looting resorted by tribal youth on the non – tribals. Although hard evidence was not
found but there are reasons to believe that the safety of women in the aftermath of tsunami is an area
that has been totally ignored by the Government as well as the NGOs. Women and girls are more
vulnerable to sexual abuse in disaster situations and may be coerced into sex for basic needs such as
food, shelter and security. The sex industry often becomes part of the interaction between the refugee
or displaced population and the local community. Men and boys may also be at risk of sexual abuse
in such circumstances. Incidents of rape having been committed on non-tribal girls by non-tribal
youth were reported in the Nancowrie Group of Islands.
POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDERS
Psychological responses to disasters include short-term effects such as shock, anxiety; sleep
disturbances and guilt, which were found in abundance during the assessment. There were
differences between women and men and girls and boys in the nature of psychological impact. A
greater proportion of women and girls reported suffering from emotional disorders and distress as
compared to men and boys. Lots of incidences of women and children refusing to go near the sea was
found.
SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES
Owing to the unique structure of the extended family system called Tuhets, loss of the ability
to take care of the family has not caused adjustment difficulties for men, especially those with more
traditional gender role. Some viewed receiving financial aid as a stigma and feel challenged in their
role as breadwinners. In certain islands women find themselves burdened with even greater
responsibilities than before. If immediate action is not taken post disaster “flight of men” often
occurs, leaving women as sole earners, this may be true in the case of non-tribals.

29. 29
RELIEF EFFORT
Indigenous people across the world are very much part of the ecosystem that has nurtured
them. Their entire world-view and identity are inextricably linked to the life support system that
surrounds them. Compared to the death of a family member, being alienated from their land is much
more traumatic. An incident recounted by one of my guides brings this point to fore, for example, a
father who had lost his son in the Tsunami, when asked what he would like to do with the dead body
that lay at his feet, simply replied, ‘he is dead, what should I do with him?’ and he went off to collect
the remains from the debris where his hut once stood. While death, in their understanding, is a
natural process, the loss of their land is not. It means the very extinction of their roots, and hence
their being in the world. More than half a century of the nation state, some Nicobarese still feel
responsible for protecting their lands from intruders. Kephus, of Bompoka is worried that the
Indonesian ‘poachers’ who regularly visit Bompoka may come and take over their lands in their
absence. They must, therefore, return soon and protect their ‘homeland’ before they lose it. A small
child when asked where his home was, points to the remnants of where his house once stood.
Jonathan has categorically stated that ‘we may die but we have to go back. What will we do here?
We need to work...we have our plantations there and we cannot think of leaving our island’. No
argument convinced Jonathan. A life without their island is inconceivable to them. The idea of the
Vice-Chief Captain of Teressa, Peter, to divide the population of Chowra into seven villages on
Teressa is abominable to Jonathan. He was clear in stating that his people would stay together and
would not be divided.
The conditions of the relief camps, though sufficient in rice and potatoes, are not what the
Nicobarese are accustomed to, socially and culturally. With lack of work to do, anxious to construct
their temporary shelters, stressed in the restricted and unfamiliar environment of the relief camps,
new dynamics relationships are triggered. There are inter-generational conflicts, questions of
leadership (several old leaders have died), questions around redistribution of land and resources, and
the restructuring of the former joint family system. While such tensions under the given
circumstances are to be expected, the camp conditions are most inappropriate to negotiate on such
issues peacefully without danger of conflict.
The women are the group that has been entirely neglected. 'They still wear men's clothes and
are waiting for cloth and sewing machines with which they can make their traditional dresses. The
Government has sent them saris, which nobody here wears. Also the saris are of polyester material,
which constantly slips from the waist if tied around. But the Nicobarese know how to use every bit
that they can get - even if it arrives as drift. The saris, therefore, have been converted into mosquito
nets, something they had not received in sufficient quantity. The women here traditionally wrap a
loin cloth (lungi) around their waists in addition to a self-stitched blouse.
The Nicobarese may not have the worldly wisdom to deal adequately with the outside world,
but they certainly do have the capability to comprehend and survive in their own environment.
Jonathan's response to the presentation made by the Administration for the introduction of toilets on
Teressa was, ‘we do not even have enough drinking water. How can we spare one bucket after each
use’. A single Tsunami would certainly not have destroyed their capacity to deal with the vicissitudes
of nature, nor their resilience to begin a new life. The administration would do them great injustice if
it did not acknowledge these attributes and by imposing urban ideology without understanding their
life-context. In doing so, it would only be incurring potential misunderstandings between the
community and the Administration that might be counterproductive in the long run.

30. 30
REQUIREMENTS FOR REHABILITATION IN THE
NICOBAR GROUP OF ISLANDS
Most of the Tsunami affected areas in the Indian mainland are behind with their relief phase
and are half way through with their temporary rehabilitation phase. On the contrary, the Nicobarese
of the Nicobar Islands, where nearly 15,000 people have died and the remaining 6,500 are still
struggling for basic relief support, let alone temporary rehabilitation. Until now the Administration
has spent only a negligible sum of money in the Nicobar group of islands where about 1,500 families
need to be rehabilitated.
Tools (for temporary homes, wells, canoes and agriculture)
The essential belonging for a Nicobari is a set of tools. Without tools, they are totally
helpless, and cannot undertake any steps towards rehabilitation. It takes several years until each
Nicobari family can accumulate the tools a family needs. Unfortunately, the Tsunami washed away
the most important capital of the Nicobarese. It is distressing that the importance of tools for the
Nicobarese was not recognized as an important precondition for temporary rehabilitation. A list of
implements each family needs to construct their homes, dig new wells, make their canoes, and
establish horticultural and vegetable gardens was handed to the author.
Connectivity and Communication
The main means of transportation for the Nicobarese has been boats. While canoes were used
for fishing and transportation of a few people over short distances, an engine driven boat (dungi) was
used to transport copra, rice and other goods, along with loads of people. Each village had a few
boats owned privately by some families but could be used by all when necessary after contributing to
the diesel. The Tsunami destroyed every single boat in the islands. As a result, the Nicobarese are
completely marooned in their villages and depend on someone to come and provide them goods. In
case of emergency they cannot even commute to the hospital, which is in Kamorta proper. Some
villages are about 20 km from the headquarters/market. Moreover, barring a couple of villages, none
have any means of telecommunication. While laying of regular telephone cables may take forever, a
mobile network is about to start in these islands, which could facilitate communication rather soon.
Furthermore, the Nicobarese wish to move on higher hinterlands to avoid any further devastation by
the sea. As a result, the Administration is trying, on the request of the Nicobarese, to connect certain
villages with the market by a dirt road. A land-based connection seems to be appropriate for certain
villages far out, which will also facilitate the transport of materials and goods for reconstruction. The
Tribal Council, however, has maintained that the road will be owned and maintained by the
Nicobarese and will ensure that there is no infiltration of outsiders into their territories. However, in
order to remain independent of any outside transporters, some of the villages will maintain a tractor
to transport goods on their own.
The Captain at Mus village suggested that if a few mini buses, tractors, trailers could be
provided to the islands, then the same under the Tribal Council could be managed to be used for
transportation of people and goods within the island. The author faced considerable hardship moving
from village to village in almost all the islands on account of lack of transportation and roads..

31. 31
Temporary shelter
Too much time has gone by already. No tools have been made available. In such a scenario,
people have started making their houses with whatever material is available. The minimum
requirement is to build shelters that will last at least till the end of the monsoon; about 6-8 months.
Given the community opinion, these may largely be built in the traditional style, with space being left
for those who choose differently. As mentioned earlier, if construction can begin with existing tools,
no matter in how small a way, it will be a significant achievement apart from serving as a huge
morale-booster.
Boats could be provided to the village heads of Bompoka and Chowra to visit their islands
for establishing plantation before the monsoon since they are camped in Teressa Island. The time for
moving into more 'permanent' dwelling places is running out fast, given the early onset of the
monsoon in these parts. The traditional dwelling places of the Nicobarese have been elaborately built
huts of bamboo and locally available natural material. About 80% of the community still favours this
for permanent housing. The remaining one-fifth wants to move into semi-pucca houses, which
require construction material such as cement and tin sheets, which are not locally available.
Traditional huts can be built in a space of about a couple of weeks. Dhani patti, which is used for
roofs is not available currently because most plants have been lost in the tsunami. The demand
therefore, is for tin sheets. But the author is of the opinion that not all the dhani patti plants across the
Nancowry group of islands been destroyed and, if this alternative is completely closed, coconut palm
leaves is a safe alternative.
Conditions at various Relief Camps
The following were the summarized observations noticed by the author on his visit to various
relief camps in the Nancowrie group of islands:-
?? Acute shortage of water for drinking as well as for other purposes.
?? There are no proper sanitation facilities. This coupled with the shortage of water could
later lead to serious problems (especially when the monsoons begin.) Deep trench latrines
should have been constructed long ago, these are yet to be done.
?? At the Chowra camp, the author was shown a picture of the toilet proposed to be
introduced. The doctor present commented that water availability was in itself a primary
problem and required resolution before introducing toilets.
?? Some families are yet to receive their basic compensation of Rs. 2,000/-.
?? The Co-operative Bank had opened on 8 or 9 February 2005. They have started in one
room, under very basic conditions. The basic deposit amount has been lowered from Rs.
250/- to Rs. 10/-. They are opening accounts without photographs. It would be better if
arrangements were made for a Polaroid camera. The bank staff is willing to take
photographs themselves; these could be used for other documents as well.
?? Mosquito nets have still not reached this island. People have made use of saris as nets.
?? At some camps while generators were available, electricity cables were in short supply.
As a result many places did not have any light.
?? Children’s clothes, ladies under garments, baby food and petty items such as washing
/bathing soaps, chappals, comb, etc. are in short supply still.
?? There is a team of 8 doctors from Delhi and Kolkata who have come to Teressa. A team
was from the National Institute of Communicable Disease (NICD), Delhi; Central
Surveillance Unit and the other from the Central Health Services, Kolkata. They have
been visiting each camp and talking to people about water treatment and sanitation
among other things.
?? The following are some of their main observations:

32. 32
o Presently there is no fear of the spread of disease. However one would have to be
careful when the monsoons begin.
o They felt there was mismanagement of relief material and that milk powder and
other such items were probably rotting, as they were not being distributed soon
enough.
o The shortage of water was a serious problem and needs to be addressed soon. A
qualified team must explore the availability of water sources.
o The food being supplied (rice, dal, potatoes) needs to be supplemented; soya
beans (nutri nuggets) would be a good option.
o At the Chowra camp, the doctor mentioned that all inmates (despite the Chowra
Captain having endorsed his advice) were not following his advice regarding the
use of chlorine tablets. He felt that this was perhaps owing to indigenous beliefs
or practices.
A doctor monitoring health conditions provided the following figures for the tribal population
at camps at Teressa.
Adult camp
population
Children
below 12
years
No. Camp,
Village
Male Female Male Female
Children
below
5 years
Missing Dead Number
of
families
Total
population
1 Chowra 427 393 230 241 102 15 41 344 1.306
2 Bengalie 101 95 68 56 38 3 4 n.a. 310
3 Alurong 88 107 42 46 36 1 3 63 283
4 Kalasi 145 144 58 58 62 2 0 93 405
5 Minyuk 93 88 49 20 27 0 0 64 250
6 Luxi 66 34 38 22 30 0 20 12 160
7 Enam 87 94 43 22 30 0 18 53 228
8 Chuckmachi 82 72 30 20 33 0 0 67 204
9 Bambooka 33 5 12 8 2 0 10 7 38
Total* 1,122 1,014 230 241 102 96 96 3,187
Note: The above columns do not add up to give the total figures as indicated. However, in the
absence of any other figure coming forth, one could go ahead with the numbers indicated in the
above chart. The doctor mentioned that the administration, too, was relying on his census.

33. 33
The tsunami of 26 Dec has changed the complexion of the islands. Three islands ie. Chowra,
Bompoka and Trinket have been abandoned; the west bay Katchal has been submerged in sea
completely. Island wise figure is mentioned below:-
NAME AREA
(Sq Km)
POPULATION
(2001)
MISSING/DEAD SURVIVING
PERSONS
REMARKS
CHOWRA 8.2 1385 15/41 1283 ABANDONED
TERESSA 101.4 2026 6/45 1888
BOMPOKA 13.3 55 10 45 ABANDONED
KATCHAL 174.4 5312 4310/345 1823
KAMORTA 188.2 3412 285/51 1227
NANCOWRIE 66.9 927 2 834
TRINKET 36.3 432 90/1 341 ABANDONED

34. 34
BUREAUCRATIC INSENSITIVITY
Considering the diligence of the armed forces and the enthusiasm and generosity of ordinary
citizens, the attitude of the island's civilian administration leaves a lot to be desired. The answer to
this lack of commitment is simple: a lack of democracy and popular empowerment. As a Union
Territory, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands have no legislature and thus no elected representatives
with any clout apart from a single Member of Parliament. Elsewhere in India, in any situation of
crisis, officials have to answer to legislators at every level: a failure to act would result in their being
hounded by legislators and harried by trade unions, student groups and the like. In effect, the political
system serves as a means by which demands are articulated. The media similarly serve to create
flows of information.
These are precisely the mechanisms that are absent in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
There are no elected representatives to speak for the people and the media have been excluded from
large swathes of territory. It is not for no reason that the author observed during his assessment
survey in Tamil Nadu, where these mechanisms do exist, the attitude of administrators in the affected
districts had been more sensitive to the needs of the victims and substantially more open to the
oversight of the press and to offers of help from other parts of the country.
Whereas it is common for civil servants to complain of the perils of political interference (to
some extent maybe true): the situation on the islands is proof that in the absence of vigorous
oversight many (although certainly not all) officials will revert to the indifference and inertia that are
the natural condition of any bureaucracy.
The Central Government is aware that there is a problem, for the relief operation was
restructured on January 2, reportedly at the personal intervention of Sonia Gandhi. Several senior
members of the ruling party have been dispatched to the outlying islands, not just for token visits, but
also to make sure that the supplies are properly distributed. The captain of Mus village had to
personally seek the assurance of the Honorable Home Minister that the relief and rehabilitation work
would be undertaken at the same pace as was being undertaken in the mainland.
In Port Blair, relief camps are the main sources of aid and sustenance for the refugees. These
are all sustained by private initiatives: they are staffed by volunteers from local youth groups,
religious foundations and so on, and their supplies are provided by local shopkeepers, businessmen
and citizens' organisations. The author met with the organizers of several relief camps and they were
unanimous in stating that in the initial stages, they had received no aid whatsoever from the
government, apart from some water. They knew that people on the mainland were eager to help and
that a great deal of money had been raised.
These are welcome first steps, but it is essential that the Central Government moves quickly
to create a more responsive and efficient disaster relief operation in this region not just for the
management of this disaster, but also for the long term. For if anything can be said with any
certainty, it is that the tsunami will not be the last seismic upheaval to shake the Andaman and
Nicobar Islands.

35. 35
RELIEF ORGANISATION IN ANDAMAN AND
NICOBAR
Under the Chairmanship of the Director of Social Welfare, the A & N Administration has set
up an NGO Coordination Committee. The Coordination Committee has 10 NGO members, four local
and six national NGOs. The following areas were identified as the thrust areas for the NGOs: a)
Agriculture, b) Health & Sanitation; c) Livelihood; d) Animal Husbandry; e) Fisheries; f) Shelter; g)
Counseling; h) Care of vulnerable sections; i) Education; j) Compensation issues; k) Work for
physically challenged; and l) Environment.
The following is the organizational tree overseeing relief and rehabilitation work in the
Island:-
ANDAMAN
NICOBAR
DC ANDAMAN
(G BHARATI) TEHSILDAR CONTROL
ROOM (KURUP)
AC (NORTH & MIDDLE ANDAMANS)
RAHUL BHAGAT
DC (NICOBAR)
ANBAARASU
AC TERESSA
JUSTIN PEREIRA
AC (SOUTH ANDAMANS)
SS PARIHAR
AC CAMPBELL BAY
JAGJIT
4 SPECIAL RELIEF OFFICERS:-
?? AMIT KUMAR
?? RAJIV SHUKLA
?? RAJESH KUMAR
?? RANJIT SINGH
AC KATCHAL
M A ABID
AC KAMORTA
AK MEENA
TEHSIDAR (LITTLE ANDAMAN)
SUNIL KUMAR

36. 36
Nodal Officers for the relief and rehabilitation projects in Andaman and Nicobar and their
telephone numbers: (STD code- 03192)
?? Lt Governor Ram Kapse 03192-233333
?? Chief Secretary V V Bhat 03192-233110
?? Deputy Commissioner Gyanesh Bharati 03192-233089
?? Development Commissioner Anshu Prakash 03192-234880
?? Mr. Punit Goel, Relief Commissioner,
Office of the Deputy
Commissioner, Port Blair,
Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India.
?? Mr Rajendra Kumar Secretary PWD 234880, 229048
?? Dr Namita Ali Director Health Services 233331, 232910, 232709 (R)
?? Dr R Thulasi Dasan Project Director (Telemedicine) 230136, 236555, 231176 (F).
?? Mr. Janak Duggal 09434280021
?? Mr. Anbaarasu DC Nicobar

37. 37
NGOs AND AGENCIES WHO ARE/HAVE
UNDERTAKEN RELIEF WORK IN THE ISALNDS

38. 38

39. 39
Tasks/stated
intent
Name of organisation Contact Person(s) Address
Location for
work
Assessment/Contribution Needs
Rehabilitation
and
restoration of
livelihoods
1) Delhi Tsunami Relief
Committee
Indian Social
Institute,
10,
Institutional
Area,
Lodhi Road,
New Delhi
110 003,
India
Delhi
2) Habitat International
Coalition
Housing and Land Rights
Network (HLRN)
Miloon Kothari
Tel/Fax: 00 91 11 2435
8492
Malavika Vartak
Vishal Thakre
South Asia
Regional
Programme
(SARP)
HLRN
B-28
Nizamuddin
East
New Delhi
110013
India
Delhi
Sustainable Environment
and Ecological
Development
Society (SEEDS)
Lakshmy 91-9810596614
Anshu Sharma 91-11-
26498371
Port Blair
Delhi
Started housing
reconstruction in the
Islands. Initiated mapping
exercise in the islands
Centre for Action Research
on Environmnet Science
and Society (CARESS)
Vineeta Hoon
9444368457 044-
23612691
160
Sivananda
Road
Gillnagar ext
2.
Chennai 600
094
Chennai
Involved in Fund raising
and Rehabilitation and
Restoration of
Livelihoods.
Are launching an appeal
for funds to help the
victims of the Tsunami in
the Andaman and Nicobar

40. 40
Islands.
The money raised will be
used to help the islanders
rebuild their shattered
lives. CARESS is working
with a local NGO,
Andaman and Nicobar
Environment Team
(ANET) who have a long
established relationship
with both the affected
communities and the local
administration.
In the immediate term the
effort will focus on:
1. Filling in the gaps for
urgent relief and providing
dry food rations, clothing
and toiletries for around
3000 people. Relief is
being distributed in
accordance with local and
contextual
appropriateness.
2. Reconstruction of
homes in the Nicobar
Islands.
In the longer term efforts
will turn to:Providing
support to the islanders for
restarting their businesses
and fishing operations.
Fund Association for India's Vidya Jonnalagadda AID-India, Chennai/USA

41. 41
Collection Development (AID)
Contributions through
website:
http://survivors.aidindia.org
Sree Ganesan Old No 132,
New No 242,
Avvai
Shanmugam
Road,
Gopalapuram,
Chennai -
600086,
Tamil Nadu,
India.
Delhi Tsunami Relief
Committee Cheque in
name of "Delhi Tsunami
Relief Fund"
This committee has been
formed by a number of
Delhi based NGOs
Indian Social
Institute, 10,
Institutional
Area, Lodhi
Road, New
Delhi 110
003, India
Delhi
American Red Cross
Centre for Action Research
on Environmnet Science
and Society (CARESS)
Vineeta Hoon
9444368457
044-23612691
160
Sivananda
Road
Gillnagar ext
2. Chennai
600094
Chennai
Citizens Initiative,
Bangalore
Anupama Jayaraman
Money or
materials
for relief
in the
Andamans
Sharbendu De
Website www.anitr.org
ANITR Fund ('Andaman
& Nicobar Islands
Tsunami Relief') Fund

42. 42
Reefwatch cheques / DDs
drawn in favour of
REEFWATCH MARINE
CONSERVATION
Mitali Dutt Kakar Phone:
91 22 26518206 /
26518223; Fax: 91 22
26518209
Priyanka
Building,
Ground Floor
50, St. Paul's
Road Bandra
(W) Mumbai
400 050
Mumbai/Port
Blair
Andaman and Nicobar
Environment Team
(ANET)
ANET( Harry Andrews
and team) Post Box No.1,
Junglighat P.O., Port
Blair-744 103,
Andamans.
Nicobar
Islands
ANET sees the next step
to be taken up as
rehabilitation and
reconstruction of their
homes and livelihoods
This needs to be done on a
war footing before the
rains set in. It rains very
heavily in the Islands and
rehab and reconstruction
work will become very
difficult once the
monsoons set in. Are
concerned that presently
large consignments of
non-essential supplies are
being wasted. They prefer
to receive help in cash
rather than kind as
everything needed is
available here. It is faster
and easier to buy whatever
is needed and supply to
the relief camp In this way
they can ensure that only
essential supplies are
collected and distributed.

43. 43
Relief work
Reefwatch Marine
Conservation
Mitali Dutt Kakar
Sarang
Priyanka
Building,
Ground Floor
50, St. Paul's
Road Bandra
(W) Mumbai
400050
Phone: 91 22
26518206 /
26518223;
Fax: 91 22
26518209
Mumbai
(Mitali) and
A&N Islands
(Sarang)
Sent:
clothing,
blankets,
equipment
/ gear for
transit
camps,
medicine,
provisions,
water
sanitizers
National Institute of Mental
Health and Neuro Sciences
in Bangalore
Training of volunteers in
post-trauma counseling
The Indian Red Cross
Society (Andaman Branch)
Port Blair
Have distributed 10 Poly
Sheets, 1000 Bed Sheets,
1000 Towels, 90 Kitchen
Sets, 1000 Cases of
Mineral Water, Amul
Milk 375 Cartoon (Tetra
Pack), 19 Degchies and 1
Patila, 200 Torches, 400
Batteries and Candles,
Match Box, Mortein Coil
200 Pkts each besides
shawls to the kids below 1
year in relief camps at
Haddo (Telugu) Medium.
The family packs
containing kitchen utensil
sets, sarees/ lungis, T-
shirts, dhotis, /blankets,
bed sheets, towels, shelter

44. 44
materials, water
purification tabs 600000
tablets, bleaching powder
5000 kgs and supply
temporary plastic latrine
squatting plates 500 Pcs.
The IRCS will also supply
4 Nos. Water Purification
Units which can provide
purified safe drinking
water of liters per day; to
operate they need raw
water and electricity (or
diesel to generate
electricity), They have
also arranged tetra pack
milk 35000 liters from
Amul Company (source:
IRCS communication to
media)
Unicef
Vaccination against
measles in relief camps.
Also is involved in
sanitation programmes in
the Nicobars.
Sharbendu De
Tel: 91 98734 68828
(Mobile)
sharbendude@yahoo.com
Presently in
Delhi
Christian Medical College,
Alumni along with
Emmanuel Hospital
Association, CMAI. (only
medical relief) ¬Ý
Samuel Chittaranjan
(Associate Director, CMC
Alumni)
(Only medical relief)

45. 45
Sustainable Environment
and Ecological
Development Society
(SEEDS)
Lakshmy 9810596614
Anshu Sharma 91-11-
26498371 in Delhi
http://www.seedsindia.org
P. Blair/
Delhi
District Admin has
requested SEEDS to do a
damage assessment. They
are organising a technical
team for this.
Has a
volunteer
roster on
website;
any NGO
can access
these
volunteers.
Oxfam Trust (GB) Mukul Gupte
Hotel
Shompen port
Blair
Port Blair
Providing relief assistance
in Campbell Bay and is
planning to be involved in
the Nicobars.

46. 46
COMMUNICATION AND CHANNELS FOR
ESTABLISHMENT OF CONTACT
The mainstay of inter-island movement is a fleet of cargo and passenger boats owned by the
Administration. The boat services are infrequent, and time consuming. There is skeleton helicopter
service provided by State-owned Pawan Hans. Movement of officials and VIPs has stretched Pawan
Hans. The Government is averse to allowing private charters operating in the islands, presumably
due to security reasons. Logistics is a major challenge during normal times; the problems are
exaggerated during emergencies. The author had to hire certain inter island freight and fishing boats
to ensure that he could reach maximum number of islands in the given time frame. Such mode of
transport is however no advisable as these are highly un-reliable and dangerous --- both due to the
notoriety of the boat operators as well as the un-predictability and the dangerous currents that are a
hallmark of these seas.
A more practical approach would be to plan future visits by catering for a longer time frame.
This would help in planning out the entire trip through reliable means of communication, i.e. by the
weekly ship service or if lucky by helicopters.
A peculiarity of the region surveyed is as follows. Certain areas as brought out earlier are
barred from free access to civilians, both Indian as well as foreign. These areas under the Protection
of Aboriginal Tribes Regulation (PATR) of 1956.
Tribals generally inhabit these areas and persons who want to visit these places would have
to obtain a ‘Tribal Pass’ for accessing these areas. Therefore, NGOS and their personnel who are
involved in various projects in these restricted areas would find this a natural constraint for the
smooth and fast implementation of their projects.
NGOs who intend to initiate projects in the restricted areas normally have to follow two
channels. The first is to obtain approval from the local Tribal Council in the form of an invitation,
based on their recommendation; an NGO could then start its operations in these areas.
The other route is to put up a proposal to the Chief Secretary of the Union Territory. Based
on the merit of the proposal and the credentials of the NGO, the Government may sanction approval.
Experience has shown that following the first channel might be profitable in terms of
initiating quality programmes with the active participation of the affected population as well as to
circumvent bureaucratic obfuscation.
Needless to say, it was very apparent that not all NGOs are able to get a foothold in the
restricted areas. This stems from the fact that a huge bureaucratic procedure has to be followed for
initiation of any programmes in these areas; another reason is the suspicious nature of the Tribal
Council. The apprehension of the tribals is valid to a certain extent as logistics in these islands are a
nightmare with too many people already competing to the islands already over burdened resources.
There is a severe lack of hotels, transport, fuel, camping sites etc. The tribals are also apprehensive of
any permanent change that could be wrought in by certain NGOs, who might unbalance the
community’s fragile and unique customs and traditions.

47. 47
Two important points of contact have been established in the Nicobars. These persons’
invitation would be of help for initiation of programmes in the Car Nicobar and Nancowrie group of
Islands.
?? Mr Thomas Phillip. Secretary, Tribal Council Car Nicobar Islands. (Mus
Village).P.O. Headquarters, Car Nicobar 744 301. Mobile No. 9434289601.
?? Mr. Rasheed. (Brother of the Queen of Nancowrie, Ms Ayesha Fathima) Mob
No.0953193263344

48. 48
RECOMMENDATIONS
For the long term, the focus should be on a comprehensive rehabilitation plan for the islands
to be implemented in a project mode. The following areas should be concentrated upon:-
?? Permanent housing which is disaster proof and calamity proof.
?? Reconstruction of harbours and jetties.
?? Establishment of disaster warning systems and shelters.
?? Sustainable development of the region for a better quality of life while conserving the
ecology.
From a development perspective, A & N is very different from the Mainland. The islands
have a long history of ethnic harmony, peaceful co-existence of different communities, low crime
rate, large forest cover and abundance of marine life. It has a low density of population. It has good
spread of education and health infrastructure at grass root level resulting in high literacy rate and
very good health indicators. The territory also has a large and well-equipped administrative set- up
both at the Secretariat and departmental level to implement various developmental programmes.
Extended families (Tuhets) are the norm in the countryside. The communities are proud, and do not
abandon orphans. Relatives adopt the orphans.
Oxfam Trust could build capacity of reconstruction to support government, NGOs and
private sector by providing technical information, transfer technologies and expertise to develop the
capacity of implementing agencies and communities in reconstruction of infrastructure. The
following areas could be concentrated upon:-
i. Housing – Cost-effective and/or disaster resistant housing designs e.g. flood, drought and
earthquake; healthy kitchens; temporary shelter designs; sourcing building materials and
equipment; training masons; engaging communities (including women) in re-building
homes.
ii. Rain Harvesting – Linked to housing, the design could be so that the abundant rainfall
received in these islands could be used to store and recharge the ground water for
purposes of drinking and agriculture.
iii. Saline water treatment plants – Such plants could be installed in the islands to cater for
drinking water as well as to ensure that the tribals are not displaced due to lack of
drinking water from their ancestral islands.
iv. Telemedicine – Although facilities of telemedicine exist in various islands, however the
requisite manpower to operate the same are lacking. Training could be provided to locals
to teach them to operate these machines so that maximum benefit could be accrued by the
villagers. Also if the connectivity of these machines are linked to hospitals in New Delhi
etc, the problem of language barrier could be solved, as the existing machines are
connected to Chennai and the tribals are not well versed in either English or Tamil.
v. Household energy – Energy efficient stoves; biomass; common biogas units.
vi. Water & Sanitation – Drinking water (e.g. supply purification, distribution &
management); waste disposal (toilets, septic tanks, solid waste management); vector
control; hygiene awareness and education.

49. 49
vii. Transport – Gravel and tar roads using community labour or machinery; design options
for small bridges and culverts; intermediate modes of transport (e.g. bicycles, bicycle
trailers for eg for transporting fishing gear, motorised IMTs for various uses in
reconstruction and livelihood development); road network designs e.g. cycle lanes and
link roads. Mini buses, tractors and trailers could be provided to the Tribal Councils to
solve the immediate problem of transportation of people and goods.
viii. Early warning systems – Awareness raising about disaster risk; local preparedness
measures and strengthening community groups for community-managed early warning
systems.
ix. Agriculture - Damage assessments on agriculture are on going but the FAO states that
farm animals have been killed and crops have been washed away or are dying due to
saltwater floods. Similarly, many water reservoirs and wells cannot be used anymore
because of saltwater and water pollution, and irrigation and drainage facilities are
destroyed. The most immediate needs in the agricultural sector include seeds, fertilizers,
tools, small livestock and assistance in rehabilitating small-scale infrastructure such as
irrigation schemes, animal shelters, and market and storage structures.
x. Employment and income generation options for affected communities through the
reconstruction process - In the aftermath of disasters, many agencies assist in
reconstruction, yet communities themselves do a major part of rebuilding of homes and
livelihoods after a disaster. Although often portrayed as 'helpless victims', communities
have experience, skills and expertise. Reconstruction must fully engage communities.
Income generation and employment opportunities for affected communities should in fact
be expanded in the process of reconstruction. Coir and Coconut product based industries
could be established to be managed by the Tribal Councils. Oxfam Trust could promote
this by providing additional training for affected communities to participate in
reconstruction and by encouraging agencies (government, private and non-governmental)
involved in reconstruction to employ them. Special attention could be paid to the
participation of women, who have also lost jobs/livelihoods but who find it particularly
difficult to get paid work in reconstruction.
xi. Helping to ensure different needs and vulnerable people are addressed in relief and
reconstruction - Often in the urgency and scale of relief and reconstruction operations,
special needs of particular groups can get overlooked. In planning and implementing
relief and reconstruction activities, it is vital to consider different needs (e.g. of women
and men and of ethnic and religious groups). It is also essential to ensure the needs of
highly vulnerable people such as very poor households/communities, female-headed
households, the elderly, orphans and other children and people with disabilities are
addressed. It should be ensured that these concerns are tackled in the course of with
affected communities and also influence others involved in immediate relief and the
reconstruction to incorporate these issues.
xii. Reducing risk and vulnerability of communities to future disasters - ‘Vulnerability is
a set of conditions that affect the ability of countries, communities and individuals to
prevent, mitigate, prepare for or respond to a hazard. High levels of vulnerability increase
the likelihood that a natural hazard will result in disaster. Poor people get locked into a
cycle of vulnerability. Because they are poor, they become vulnerable. Because they are
vulnerable they are at risk of disaster. Because they suffer great losses from a disaster,
they become even poorer, more vulnerable and at even greater risk of another disaster’.

50. 50
Rehabilitation should also aim to reduce poor people's risk to disaster and break this
cycle of vulnerability by:
?? Strengthening the capacities of communities and individuals to plan, prepare and
respond to disasters.
?? Reducing conditions of vulnerability such as:-
o Poor living conditions,
o Insecure and risky sources of income,
o Lack of knowledge and information,
o Lack of access to services and infrastructure.
xiii. Linking disasters to development - Through the reconstruction process, it is essential to
mainstream disaster mitigation into reconstruction plans and practices. Often
disasters are dealt with 'separately' from development activities. Oxfam Trust
could promote an 'alternative perspective' on disaster mitigation. Disaster mitigation
should be part of overall reconstruction and development planning.
xiv. Natural resource management - When large-scale infrastructure and development
activities are undertaken, such as in the aftermath of a disaster, environmental concerns
are given little emphasis. Poor communities are usually most affected by environmental
degradation, which can threaten their livelihoods, living conditions and health.
Environmental mismanagement also increases communities' risks to disasters. Many
people, especially fishing and farming communities depend on natural resources for their
livelihoods. Natural resource management is vital to ensure sustainable livelihoods and
long-term health and viability of communities. Natural resource management is also
essential to minimize the incidence and impacts of natural and manmade hazards such as
floods, landslides and drought. Oxfam Trust could build on the extensive knowledge and
experience of fishing and farming communities and introduce technologies and
approaches for natural resource management. Emphasis on the Coastal Zone Regulatory
Act as well as plantation of the coastal areas with ecologically friendly trees could help in
preventing future disasters as well as help the community use the bio-mass for its use.
xv. Psychosocial rehabilitation and Training – There is a huge scope of providing
psychosocial training to the affected villagers. There are obvious symptoms of PTSD in
most of the relief camps. People, especially women and children are afraid of the sea and
venture nowhere near it. Training certain youth volunteers in psychosocial counseling
would help in bringing the situation under control.

51. 51
CONCLUSION
The recent Tsunami has no doubt wrecked havoc in the islands of Nicobar, but it also cannot
be denied that it has also opened up a whole new horizon, opportunities and if the rehabilitation work
is well monitored and executed, a certain degree of material prosperity to the people of Nicobars.
However, relief work when planned should not set them in a race of ever growing discontentment
and existentialism of modern life that was once unknown to these islanders. The relief efforts should
further be practical so as not to clash with the harsh reality of everyday life, thereby creating grounds
for disillusionment. Post tsunami, the young generation are no longer interested in their traditional
occupations, nor can they comprehend the problems and difficulties of modern life. Their needs have
grown as a result of acculturation and cannot be met with unchanged technology and an old form of
metaphysical and social consciousness; the tsunami has further complicated the already confusing
situation. Their acceptance to this change has made an everlasting dent in their original perception of
their environment that they once regarded as sacred to the one as being a repository of resources to
be exploited. A kind of ambiguity has been thrust upon them by the development projects and
increasing outside contact has obliged them to defy divine prohibition of nature.
The destruction of their psychological landscape is not complete as yet as people here are
built of a strong constitution. Development projects when initiated should necessarily consider the
environment as ontologically a part of the people who give and draw sustenance from it. If planned
otherwise, the result is not only the disintegration and abuse of man-nature relations and raising
questions about sustainability, but also psychological dismemberment among and within individuals.
Many common relief programs can create dependencies and severely reduce the survivors'
ability to cope with the next disaster. The fundamental goals of all people who are devoted to
disaster management and emergency response is to be as effective as possible, to empower rather
than to create dependency, and to act in ways that are sensitive to culture, gender and individual
rights.
Will the Nicobarese ever heed the winds again, rejoice and revel in their tranquil
surroundings. Will they ever hear the slow long drawl of the old Nicobari songs that warned the
people to listen to the sounds of nature and live with it in harmony? Or will they ever hear the
courtship music or the complaint of a friend through the notes of Tinkang (an extinct single stringed
instrument)? How long will there be the sounds of the fluttering of flags or that of the leaves on a
Kanaya in the northeast winds? Only time and the quality of relief effort initiated will tell.