*The Light of Andamans :: Issue 47 :: 31 Dec 2007*
**

*Havelock: a war zone*



By Staff Reporter



A new look Havelock Jetty, a newly repaired stretch of 11.5 Km road from
Jetty to picturesque Radha Nagar beach, an extended helipad with
passenger-shed and toilet by forcibly evicting a poor villager, a newly
resurfaced road to Dolphin Niwas that was refurbished to the hilt with
expensive electrical lighting works and internal fittings, a tasteful
setting at Radha Nagar beach chopping down trees but camouflaged smartly –
these were the arrangements the administration and the Zilla Parishad made
in just under a month for President Pratibha Patil's two hour visit to the
island.

The entire Havelock was turned into a war zone with movement of vehicles,
excavators, road rollers, electricians, plumbers, painters and forest
workers running into each other to find a space to work. It was evident that
the administration and the Zilla Parishad had pulled all the stops and
considerations of environment, soil erosion or expenses for that matter.



The hourly changing programme however, ensured that the Presidential
entourage would not go to Dolphin Niwas.



The roads that carry hundreds of tourist everyday were in real bad shape and
did need urgent and comprehensive repairs. However it was a quckfix for the
benefit of the President spending the same amount of money. The people of
Havelock feel that their long term interests have been compromised by the
short visit of the President. "How could you do 20 kilometres of road in 30
days? Come next monsoon and we all would be wallowing in potholes again.
Only the contractors would benefit from this road" said Kamlesh, an auto
driver.



The 11.5 Kilometre stretch of road from Havelock Jetty to Radha Nagar beach
has already been declared a State Highway. Next year it will revert to
Andaman PWD. A plan to widen the road into 2-lane traffic is already in
process, it is understood. A large part of Rs 6.50 crores spent on the road
would go waste once the widening work with State Highway specification is
undertaken.



Though the people and the tourists would feel relieved for small mercies
courtesy the President of India, there were lots of questions about awarding
the work and the materials used in the renovation of roads that remain
unanswered. Reliable sources reveal that open tenders were not invited for
the work of such magnitude. The engineers engaged in the work admit on
condition of anonymity that compromises were bound to be there in such rush
works. The extent of compromise in quality, quantity and specifications is a
matter for further investigation.



A short, day trip of the President to Havelock would cost the exchequer a
cool Rs 15 crores, according conservative estimates.


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