Dear all,

The statements by Prof. Sahai clearly shows that he is for 'civilising' the
tribal people; which means that the Indian government is for demeaning and
taking away the dignity of the tribal people of andaman Nicobar.

Nobody is ready to leave them alone. we need their resources for our greed.
So they should be brought into our ways so that we can take their livelihood
systems

I do not what is going to stop the death of tribal people by our
'civilisation'.

santhosh

On 9/27/06, Arnab Sen <arnabsen.anthropology@...> wrote:
>
> Dear All
> Professor Sahai already has some work on acculturation in the Nicobar. We
> hope his insights as an anthropologist will help point out the nature of
> the
> threat to the Jarawa. It should be able to highlight the administrative
> myopia and lack of political will that has brought the Jarawa and other
> threatened groups to near extinction: the Great Andaman Road being the
> major
> factor.
> Arnab
>
> On 9/21/06, Ramananda Wangkheirakpam <wramd@...> wrote:
> >
> > Anoop the simplest thing that the peoples of Andaman can do is to stop
> > Prof Sahai from entering the Andaman so that he does not spread the
> disease
> > of sustainability. Ram
> >   ----- Original Message -----
> >   From: anpkmr71
> >   To: andamanicobar@...
> >   Sent: Thursday, September 21, 2006 1:47 PM
> >   Subject: [andamanicobar] Re: Prof. Sahai to study condition of Andaman
> > tribes ::: The Light of Andamans ::: Issue 39 ::: 16 Sept 2006
> >
> >
> >   Hi,
> >
> >   "The survival of these tribes is the main issue as their population
> >   has reduced to an alarming extent. The government and several welfare
> >   organisations are continuously attempting to inculcate the
> >   sustainable means of living but the uncompromising attitude of few of
> >   the tribes have brought them on the verge of extinction," informed
> >   Prof Sahai.
> >
> >   Can anybody tell me, who this professor is.
> >   Hope somebody teaches him the ways of the tribes...
> >
> >   Regards,
> >   Anoop
> >
> >
> >
> >   --- In andamanicobar@..., "zubair ahmed"
> >   <zubairpbl@g...> wrote:
> >   >
> >   > *The Light of Andamans ::: Issue 39 ::: 16 Sept 2006*
> >   > *Prof. Sahai to study *
> >   > *condition **of Andaman tribes*
> >   >
> >   > *Another "Expert Group" is on its way to study the ways and means to
> >   > inculcate sustainable means of living amongst the uncompromising
> >   tribes, as
> >   > assumed by Prof. Sahai and his group. The tribes, particularly, the
> >   Jarawas
> >   > are not through with the new prescription of the Planning
> >   Commission's
> >   > Subgroup of Experts.*
> >   > Head of Allahabad University's Department of Anthropology Prof VS
> >   Sahai will
> >   > visit Andaman and Nicobar Island in October to observe the
> >   condition of the
> >   > tribes in the islands.
> >   > Prof Sahai has been made a member of the Scientific Expert
> >   Committee formed
> >   > by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest to investigate the
> >   status of
> >   > forest and allied affairs in the islands.
> >   >
> >   > Andaman and Nicobar islands are home to some of the fast-vanishing
> >   > aboriginal tribes of the world. Few of the tribes are isolated and
> >   remain
> >   > untouched with the outside world while most of them have accepted
> >   the social
> >   > changes occurring in the rest of the world. Four Negrito and two
> >   > Indo-Mongoloid races of tribes exist in the Andaman and Nicobar
> >   Islands. The
> >   > Great Andamanese, Onge, Jarawa and the Sentinelese belong to the
> >   Negrito
> >   > race while the Indo-Mongoloid group tribes include the Nicobarese
> >   and the
> >   > Shompen.
> >   >
> >   > "The survival of these tribes is the main issue as their population
> >   has
> >   > reduced to an alarming extent. The government and several welfare
> >   > organisations are continuously attempting to inculcate the
> >   sustainable means
> >   > of living but the uncompromising attitude of few of the tribes have
> >   brought
> >   > them on the verge of extinction," informed Prof Sahai.
> >   >
> >   > "The government has built homes, roads, jetties and several
> >   instruments of
> >   > civilisation in the islands.
> >   > The confrontation of these primitive tribes to the new world has
> >   also
> >   > desecrated the traditions of these tribes. The Jarawa tribe which
> >   is one of
> >   > the most primitive tribe has been affected by the Great Andaman
> >   Road passing
> >   > through their places of habitation. The Jarawa tribe peoples were
> >   reported
> >   > to have adopted the habit of begging and stealing instead of their
> >   inherent
> >   > character of hunting for survival", he added.
> >   > According to Prof Sahai a commission was formed by Ministry of
> >   Environment
> >   > and Forest to check the status of forest and other allied matters
> >   in Andaman
> >   > and Nicobar Islands. The commission was headed by Shekhar Singh who
> >   filed
> >   > his report recently.
> >   > The Ministry of Environment and Forest has formed a Scientific
> >   Expert
> >   > Committee to check the feasibility of Shekhar Commission report. The
> >   > five-member committee includes Emeritus Prof CR Babu from School of
> >   > Environmental Studies, University of Delhi, PC Kesavan from
> >   Department of
> >   > Atomic Energy, former Chief Conservator of Forests, Government of
> >   Tamil Nadu
> >   > S Kondas  and KV Raju from Institute of Social and Economic Change,
> >   > Bangalore besides Prof Sahai. The committee will stay here for
> >   about ten
> >   > days.
> >   >
> >   >
> >   > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >   >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> >
> >   Internal Virus Database is out-of-date.
> >   Checked by AVG Free Edition.
> >   Version: 7.1.405 / Virus Database: 268.11.6/428 - Release Date:
> > 8/25/2006
> >
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
> >
> >
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Dear All
Professor Sahai already has some work on acculturation in the Nicobar. We
hope his insights as an anthropologist will help point out the nature of the
threat to the Jarawa. It should be able to highlight the administrative
myopia and lack of political will that has brought the Jarawa and other
threatened groups to near extinction: the Great Andaman Road being the major
factor.
Arnab

On 9/21/06, Ramananda Wangkheirakpam <wramd@...> wrote:
>
> Anoop the simplest thing that the peoples of Andaman can do is to stop
> Prof Sahai from entering the Andaman so that he does not spread the disease
> of sustainability. Ram
>   ----- Original Message -----
>   From: anpkmr71
>   To: andamanicobar@...
>   Sent: Thursday, September 21, 2006 1:47 PM
>   Subject: [andamanicobar] Re: Prof. Sahai to study condition of Andaman
> tribes ::: The Light of Andamans ::: Issue 39 ::: 16 Sept 2006
>
>
>   Hi,
>
>   "The survival of these tribes is the main issue as their population
>   has reduced to an alarming extent. The government and several welfare
>   organisations are continuously attempting to inculcate the
>   sustainable means of living but the uncompromising attitude of few of
>   the tribes have brought them on the verge of extinction," informed
>   Prof Sahai.
>
>   Can anybody tell me, who this professor is.
>   Hope somebody teaches him the ways of the tribes...
>
>   Regards,
>   Anoop
>
>
>
>   --- In andamanicobar@..., "zubair ahmed"
>   <zubairpbl@g...> wrote:
>   >
>   > *The Light of Andamans ::: Issue 39 ::: 16 Sept 2006*
>   > *Prof. Sahai to study *
>   > *condition **of Andaman tribes*
>   >
>   > *Another "Expert Group" is on its way to study the ways and means to
>   > inculcate sustainable means of living amongst the uncompromising
>   tribes, as
>   > assumed by Prof. Sahai and his group. The tribes, particularly, the
>   Jarawas
>   > are not through with the new prescription of the Planning
>   Commission's
>   > Subgroup of Experts.*
>   > Head of Allahabad University's Department of Anthropology Prof VS
>   Sahai will
>   > visit Andaman and Nicobar Island in October to observe the
>   condition of the
>   > tribes in the islands.
>   > Prof Sahai has been made a member of the Scientific Expert
>   Committee formed
>   > by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest to investigate the
>   status of
>   > forest and allied affairs in the islands.
>   >
>   > Andaman and Nicobar islands are home to some of the fast-vanishing
>   > aboriginal tribes of the world. Few of the tribes are isolated and
>   remain
>   > untouched with the outside world while most of them have accepted
>   the social
>   > changes occurring in the rest of the world. Four Negrito and two
>   > Indo-Mongoloid races of tribes exist in the Andaman and Nicobar
>   Islands. The
>   > Great Andamanese, Onge, Jarawa and the Sentinelese belong to the
>   Negrito
>   > race while the Indo-Mongoloid group tribes include the Nicobarese
>   and the
>   > Shompen.
>   >
>   > "The survival of these tribes is the main issue as their population
>   has
>   > reduced to an alarming extent. The government and several welfare
>   > organisations are continuously attempting to inculcate the
>   sustainable means
>   > of living but the uncompromising attitude of few of the tribes have
>   brought
>   > them on the verge of extinction," informed Prof Sahai.
>   >
>   > "The government has built homes, roads, jetties and several
>   instruments of
>   > civilisation in the islands.
>   > The confrontation of these primitive tribes to the new world has
>   also
>   > desecrated the traditions of these tribes. The Jarawa tribe which
>   is one of
>   > the most primitive tribe has been affected by the Great Andaman
>   Road passing
>   > through their places of habitation. The Jarawa tribe peoples were
>   reported
>   > to have adopted the habit of begging and stealing instead of their
>   inherent
>   > character of hunting for survival", he added.
>   > According to Prof Sahai a commission was formed by Ministry of
>   Environment
>   > and Forest to check the status of forest and other allied matters
>   in Andaman
>   > and Nicobar Islands. The commission was headed by Shekhar Singh who
>   filed
>   > his report recently.
>   > The Ministry of Environment and Forest has formed a Scientific
>   Expert
>   > Committee to check the feasibility of Shekhar Commission report. The
>   > five-member committee includes Emeritus Prof CR Babu from School of
>   > Environmental Studies, University of Delhi, PC Kesavan from
>   Department of
>   > Atomic Energy, former Chief Conservator of Forests, Government of
>   Tamil Nadu
>   > S Kondas  and KV Raju from Institute of Social and Economic Change,
>   > Bangalore besides Prof Sahai. The committee will stay here for
>   about ten
>   > days.
>   >
>   >
>   > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>   >
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
>   Internal Virus Database is out-of-date.
>   Checked by AVG Free Edition.
>   Version: 7.1.405 / Virus Database: 268.11.6/428 - Release Date:
> 8/25/2006
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

The alarming case of the Andaman Islands

http://www.tourismconcern.org.uk/pdfs/IF%20Final%20Spring%202006.pdf



It is eight months on from Tourism Concern's report on the reconstruction of
tourism after the tsunami which highlighted the devastating effects on
tsunami victims. And nothing has changed. In the Andaman Islands off the
east coast of India, plans to increase tourism massively, create an all
year- round tourist season and controversially twin the capital, Port Blair,
with Phuket have been blasted by locals.

EQUATIONS from India reports.



THE ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ISLANDS IS THE LARGEST ARCHIPELAGO IN THE BAY OF
BENGAL. The Islands harbour some of the most rich and unique biodiversity in
the world and have the last pristine reefs in the Indian Ocean region. The
Islands are home to many indigenous groups and their population has declined
considerably over the last 150 years. In all, there are six aboriginal
tribes in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and the remaining four Negrito
groups; namely, the Great Andamanese, the Onge, the Jarawa and the
Sentinelese live on separate islands in the Andaman group.



The tsunami of 26 December 2004 not only affected human populations of the
Islands and their infrastructure, but also caused extensive damage to the
natural ecosystems that were already stressed by deforestation, sand mining,
unsustainable fishing practices, soil erosion, coral reef destruction and
unplanned and unsustainable tourism.



Over the last few years, unregulated development has degraded coastal
stretches and depleted resources in contravention of the Coastal Regulation
Zone Notification, which is one of the most important legislations for
coasts in India. In the aftermath of the tsunami, the Andaman & Nicobar
Islands Administration is actively pursuing large scale development plans
and one of the most lucrative sectors is tourism. The tsunami has only
highlighted the incongruity of the current development model being adopted
by the Administration.



One million tourists a year

After the tsunami, the Administration announced as early as March 2005 that
it was ready to receive tourists. In May 2005, when the President of India
visited the Islands, he announced his vision to see 1 million tourists a
year, based on the Maldives model. The Administration launched an aggressive
marketing campaign and the state development report suggests expansion of
the present tourist season to year round by expanding tourist attractions to
aspects other than the beautiful beaches. It is recommended that Port Blair,
the capital, be developed as a major game fishing destination. The tourism
development envisaged for the Islands is unsustainable because it seeks to
lower the threshold of the coastal development prohibition zone from 200m to
50m behind the high tide line and will de-reserve forest lands. This is
against the order of the Supreme Court of India in 2002, which directed that
tourism should be low impact and sensitive to the ecological context of the
Islands. The thrust is on privatisation, inducing private sector investment,
opening up more areas for tourism and putting up large-scale infrastructure
to facilitate tourism activities and tourist movements in the Islands.



Twinning with Phuket

The most significant and controversial plan has been to link Port Blair, the
capital, with Phuket. The twinning agreement will have devastating effects
on the Islands. While fostering tourism, stepping up trade and commerce,
promoting education and culture seem reasonable for both countries, there
are several long-term ecological, economic and cultural implications that
need to be evaluated before embarking on such a project. This will bring
'low volume high end' tourists to the Andamans, as is evident from what the
numerous tourism master plans. High end tourism warrants high end
infrastructure, which would be highly resource intensive in character.
Whether the Islands, already stressed under numerous impacting factors and a
burgeoning settler population, can support such a profile of tourism is a
crucial aspect that has not been touched upon.



Instead all environmental concerns seemed to have been thrown to the winds.
Apart from creating conflicts with local entrepreneurs over business
operations and resource use, such tourism will displace them and affect the
livelihoods of local people who depend on current low-scale tourism.



Actions:

Download our report and find out more at: www.tourismconcern.org.uk or

Email: campaigns@...

If you are going on holiday to The Andamans, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand or
the Maldives,

Ask questions to find out whether people are being displaced and/or
ecosystems are being degraded in the name of hotel or tourism developments.







Syed Liyakhat

Program Coordinator

Ecosystems, Communities & Tourism Program

EQUATIONS

#415, 2-C Cross

OMBR Layout

Banaswadi

Bangalore 560075

INDIA

Tel: +91-80-25457607 / 25457659
Fax: +91-80-25457665

Email: liyakhat.s@...
<mailto:liyakhat@...>

URL: www.equitabletourism.org <http://www.equitabletourism.org/>





[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Interesting newsletter on tourism that is available on the web called Tourism
Infocus

http://www.tourismconcern.org.uk/pdfs/IF%20Final%20Spring%202006.pdf

thanks
pankaj


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Media release

   Tourism Enriches?
   KABANI - the other direction questions World Tourism Day message
   Thiruvananthapuram, 25/09/2006: As tourism leaders across the world are making
use of this year’s World Tourism Day to promote their businesses and
destinations, suggesting to the public that “Tourism Enriches”, KABANI -The
other direction is questioning the validity of this slogan in the context of
present tourism practices in Kerala and other parts of the world.
   The Kerala-based group calls for a critical analysis of the real benefit
sharing in tourism and the negative impacts of tourism on marginalized
communities and the natural resources they depend on. Is tourism really
enriching? If so, who really benefits from tourism?
   “While the main benefiting individuals are likely to be real estate
businesses, hotel owners and big tour operators cashing in on tourism, local
communities in the so called tourist destinations may rather find themselves
impoverished in terms of access to vital resources such as land and water,
decision making power and participation at various levels”, says Sumesh
Mangalassery of KABANI.
   “Tourism has compromised many marginalized communities’ livelihoods and has
made people vulnerable to displacement. In the tourism and tsunami affected
coastal areas of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, we fear that strategic evictions of
traditional communities are taking place”, says M.Gangadharan Master of KABANI.
   Along the coast of Alappuzha District, Kerala, real estate brokers and binamis
of big business tycoons are persuading fishermen communities to sell their land.
They are offering prices that seem high to the communities at this point of
time. Many fishermen have already sold their land, vacated the coast and shifted
to interior areas. The brokers are still negotiating with others. They are using
fears of another tsunami as a strategy and are trying to convince the
communities of the benefits of these transactions.
   Jayce Das, a traditional fishermen from Mararikulam north Panchayat,
Alappuzha, who sold his land said that initially the real estate brokers from
Alappuzha had approached him and had come several times to his house to convince
him of the economic advantage of selling his land. Then he sold his 20 cents
land and house for Rs. 5.8 lakhs (at Rs. 29,000/cent). But then he realised that
the interior places 2-3 km away from the coast have also become expensive.
Somehow he managed to buy land of the same size, which cost him around Rs. 5
lakhs. Now he has to construct his house there. He said that now only he
realized that it was a mistake.
   The lives and livelihoods of coastal communities solely depend upon the sea
and coast. The proximity of the sea is indispensable for them. But in this rapid
tourism development, they are loosing their culture, identity, and livelihood.
Already there are several cases in Alappuzha district, resorts denying access to
the beach for fishermen and the general public. These private resorts are
converting common resources into private property. Also, these activities are
causing unplanned, unsustainable tourism development without proper regulation.
   On the eve of World Tourism Day 2006, KABANI strongly urges the new Kerala
government to critically review the present tourism practices in the state and
to protect the interests of the people and marginalized communities who are not
at all ‘enriched’ by tourism in the state, or are even impoverished.


   For more Information:

   KABANI, the other direction,
   Sumesh Mangalassery
   TC 17/1982 (1), Thiruvathira, Palace View Road, Poojappura.
   Phone: + 91 9388402948
   Email: info@..., www.kabani.org




---------------------------------
Want to be your own boss? Learn how on  Yahoo! Small Business.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Reinhard Christian Vogl <christian.vogl@...>
To: ISE-L@...
Date: Tue, 25 Jul 2006 07:07:23 +0200
Subject: Local knowledge about natural disasters and climate change
Dear colleagues
I do invite you to distribute this mail
and/or to submit abstracts for this event:

Open Session:
Local knowledge about natural disasters and climate change
Christian R. Vogl (BOKU) and Rajindra Puri (KENT)

at the
Tenth International Congress of Ethnobiology (ICE2006)
www.ice2006.org
Hosted by: The International Society of Ethnobiology and
Khon Kaen University, Dusit Island Resort, Chiang Rai, Thailand
November 5 - 9, 2006

Local people worldwide have extensive knowledge about their
environment, ecosystems and their dynamics. Soil, water, weather and
climate are examples of complex systems with important functions for
the resilience of livelihood systems for millions of people worldwide,
but they may also be threats in the cases of erosion, avalanches,
floods, droughts, inundations or tsunamis.

This session will focus on the knowledge and practices of local people
about these eco-systemic processes and their dynamics, particularly in
crisis situations. We are interested in local classification systems
for such phenomena, local explanations for crises, traditional
knowledge for responding to and mitigating threats, new innovations
and inventions, and local versus state responses and policy, and
perceptions of responses to such crises.

The call for the submission of papers is open now. Accepted are
scientific research papers of completed research projects with an
explicit focus on local peoples' knowledge, behavior, world view,
social organization, practice and/or language. from an ethnobiological
point of view, related to:
+ weather, climate and climate change
+ soil and soil degradation
+ water, water management and disasters related to drought/inundations/tsunamis

Please submit your papers in the form requested by ICE to the ICE website
AND to christian.vogl@...

Please add in the submission to Christian R. Vogl an explicit and
unambiguous statement
+ that you will speak about your own research
+ that data collection has finished (we will not accept papers about
planned or ongoing research)


Christian R. VoglDr., Associate ProfessorWorking Group: Knowledge
Systems and InnovationsInstitute of Organic FarmingDepartment for
Sustainable Agricultural SystemsBOKU-University of Natural Resources
and Applied Life SciencesGregor Mendel Strasse 33, A-1180 ViennaTel.:
++43-(0)1-47654-3752; Fax: ++43-(0)1-47654-3792Mail:
christian.vogl@... Web:
http://www.nas.boku.ac.at/christian-vogl.html

Rajindra K. PuriPh.D., Lecturer in Environmental
AnthropologyAnthropology DepartmentUniversity of Kent at
CanterburyCanterbury, Kent   CT2 7NSUnited KingdomT: (+44)-1227-
823148F: (+44)-1227- 827289E: R.K.Puri@... W:
http://www.kent.ac.uk/anthropology/department/staff/rajP.html



***********************
Christian R. Vogl
Ao. Univ. Prof. Dr., Associate Professor

Arbeitsgruppe Wissenssysteme und Innovationen
Working Group: Knowledge Systems and Innovations

Institut fuer Oekologischen Landbau
Institute of Organic Farming

am Department für nachhaltige Agrarsysteme
Department for Sustainable Agricultural Systems

Universitaet fuer Bodenkultur (BOKU)
BOKU-University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences

Gregor Mendel Strasse 33, A-1180 Wien/Vienna
Tel.: ++43-(0)1-47654-3752; Fax: ++43-(0)1-47654-3792
Mail: christian.vogl@...

NEW URL!!!
Web: http://www.nas.boku.ac.at/christian-vogl.html
********************************************************************
PLEASE DO NOT EXPECT IMMEDIATE RESPONSE! - I DO NOT WANT TO BE ONLINE
24 h A DAY!
1. I do not use E-Mail for chatting and therefore I access my mail box
only once a day, usually in the morning !!
2. Response might need several days due to my duties and agenda.
In very urgent cases please call: ++43-(0)1-47654-3750 (secretary)
or -3752 (automatic answering machine gives No. of my cellular phone)




--
Dr. Aparna Watve
Agharkar Research Institute
G. G. Agarkar Rd.
Pune 411 004.
Tel. 020-25653680

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

This message is for journalists, and for anyone interested in issues of
large-scale land acquisition and displacement.

It is the 50th anniversary of the Rourkela project in Orissa, which, along with
the construction of its feeder dam, Mandira, displaced around 60 tribal villages
from what used to be rice land. This past weekend, a group of German charities
and activists interested in tribal India organized a conference (in Bonn) that
looked at what had happened to the Adivasis displaced by the Rourkela project.
This study provides an excellent base from which to critique current projects
involving displacement on a vast scale.

For conference reports and related papers please email Johannes Laping at
<sarini-jl@...>

The conference included German government and bank representatives who claimed
helplessness in influencing local decisions about displacement and
rehabilitation. (Germans provided technical collaboration and some funding for
the project, which from a fiscal viewpoint has been a major success.) The
conference also included tribal representatives from Rourkela and Jharkhand who
described the desperate situations there, past and present. No one showed up
from the Indian government or Rourkela steeI plant.

I would urge all groups fighting displacement to link up. Here are a few emails:
Activist from Rourkela: Friar Celestine Xaxa at celestine51@...
From Birsa in the Jharkhand: Shanti Somya at reach_shanti13@...
Also note the fact-finding report from the shootings at the Tata site in Kalinga
Nagar, at
www.firstpeoplesfirst.in

(As an aside, adivasis need to have their own webgroup, like this one, where
they can discuss issues and disseminate information. If there isn't one already,
someone please start one.)

One thing is clear: far more land is being acquired than is actually needed for
the projects at hand, apparently for real estate speculation. The Rourkela steel
plant, for instance, returned to the state government 15,000 acres, out of the
quantity originally acquired. This land is currently being leased off at
enormous profit.

The original inhabitants had received compensations of Rs. 200 to Rs. 700, so
low even by the standards of 50 years ago that some refused to accept
compensation (which did not prevent them being moved). Past promises made to the
original residents that any unused land would be returned to them have been
ignored. They were taken off their rice land and dumped in forests or given
rocky land to cultivate that was 20 miles from their resettlement colony; the
communities were fragmented, some died of hunger, and those descendants who can
be traced are miserable. They received employment as laborers during the
construction phase and were then let go. Those tribals who have gotten
employment under the scheduled caste quota at Rourkela came from elsewhere (and
some are not tribals at all). The original inhabitants got nothing.

Even in the shootings at Kalinga Nagar in Orissa, real estate speculation was a
major factor. The tribals had learned of the enormous difference in price given
to them, and that the government had gotten from Tata, and were demanding part
of this differential as their due. (That dynamite sticks were used as land mines
to keep off the adivasis from their own land directly implicates Tatas, who were
the only party authorized to possess dynamite.)

As another aside, no one seems to have a clue as to what became of the adivasis
who were displaced when Jamshedpur came up a century ago. I recently read a
laudatory report by Mittal on Jamshedpur, which is no doubt ideal from many
other points of view. I heard that Mittal is acquiring (this is hearsay, don't
quote me on this) two entire districts in the Jharkhand, West and East
Singhbhum, and all tribals will be expected to move. If this is true, it is
staggering. To wipe the slate completely clean of its original inhabitants, and
to impose a shiny new economic order involving a different group of people... it
sounds rather like Stalin's projects, doesn't it? One does not normally see such
levels of state coercion hand-in-glove with free-market capitalism. The
combination deserves a catchy name... crony capitalism? neo-colonialism? anyone?

I find it intriguing that the Land Acquisition Act being used for the land grab
has essentially remained unchanged since 1896. It is a colonial tool that seems
to not have lost its usefulness to the authorities in over a hundred years.
A historical study of the uses to which this legal instrument has been put would
be most interesting.

It seems to me that residents of the Andamans need to ask some hard questions
about the land acquisition involved in the island leasing... what is its true
purpose? I don't doubt tourism development will happen, but in the light of all
these experiences around the country, real estate speculation by members of the
administration and their allies cannot be ruled out. It is important to trace
the money and to look in detail at the actual projects -- and to ask, first of
all, that this information be made public.

Madhusree

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Community Helps Nicobarese Tsunami Orphan in Recovery - A Case Study
http://www.tsunamispecialenvoy.org/progressreports/unicef5.asp
United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)

By Gaurav Garg, UNICEF India

Close Family Bonds
Serafina is one of the 31 tsunami "orphans" in Car Nicobar. Only a few days
before the tsunami occurred on December 26, her parents had left the island to
visit their home in Bonda in Katchal in the southern Nicobar Islands, where the
father used to work as a wage labourer. The parents would not return.

Then only 3½ years old, Serafina has no recollection of the event and the mayhem
that followed. But to help her overcome the magnitude of personal loss, the
wheels of the extended family have kicked in automatically, without any undue
maneuvering, to act as a buttress.

Tribal Nicobarese have an extended family system in which words like "orphan"
and "widow" are not a part of the sociocultural lexicon. As a result the orphans
and widows have always been absorbed into the extended family networks. Thus,
the responsibility of Serafina's upbringing is not viewed as onerous but one of
routine and is accepted as such. She and her older sister Pamela now live with
their extended family in a brick structure stationed amidst coconut and pandana
trees.

Child Friendly Spaces
Serafina's also regularly attends the local Anganwadi (health) Centre in the Big
Lapathy village (formerly known as Jayanti village). The centre is run by a very
gregarious and able Anganwadi worker, Ms. Diana and is regularly visited by
Veronica a UNICEF supported Community Development Motivator (CDM). Serafina
spends 2-3 hours at the Anganwadi Centre everyday along with about 40 children
of her age. Not only do Anganwadi Centres provide a social outlet for children,
but these child-friendly spaces also play a significant role in ensuring that
all children receive adequate calories and micronutrients and their growth in
regularly monitored.

Children are the most vulnerable group in any disaster and orphans particularly
so. However, traditional Nicobarese family networks and Anganwadi Centres, in
complimenting each other in providing for and nurturing the growth and
development of children from the very beginning of their lives, have played
major roles in mitigating what might have been virulent psychological and
physical trauma of the tsunami.

For more information, see
http://www.unicef.org/india/index.html.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Dear Friends,
Here is a posting from the website of the A&N Admin website of sand allotment
for various purposes. The entire details can be found on the link provided here
http://www.and.nic.in/sand%20allotment.pdf which is  a pdf file.
I am pastiing here the covering letter that is issued along with the allotments.
Pankaj

Page 1 of 23
No.CF/SAND/3-1/Vol.VI/223
ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ADMINISTRATION

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT & FORESTS
ou ,ao i;kZoj.k foHkkx
(DEVELOPMENT & UTILISATION) / NODAL OFFICER, FCA/CRZ

**************
Port Blair dated the 14th August`2006.
To
The Divisional Forest Officer,
Diglipur/Mayabunder/Middle Andaman/Baratang/
South Andaman/Little Andaman and Nicobar Forest Division.
Sub: Allotment of coastal sand to the various user agencies for the period
ending
31.03.2007 and permission for collection of sand by the allottees who had paid
royalty on or before 31.12.2005 against allotment in 2005- reg.
In pursuance of GOI, Ministry of Environment & Forests' Notification No. S.O.
1088(E)
dated 13.07.2006 and based on the recommendations of the Sand Allotment
Committee, which had
met on 28.07.2006 under the Chairmanship of the Chief Secretary, A & N Islands,
the
Administration has decided to allow collection of 22,581 Cu.M of sand for
allotment to various user
agencies/individuals as per Annexure I to VIII upto 31.03.2006 which also
includes collection of
1,338 Cu.M of sand by the allottees listed at Annexure - VIII, who had paid the
royalty aginst
allotment made in 2005 but could not collect the same due to various constraints
from the identified
sites upto 31.12.2005.
Based on the post-tsunami reports on availability of sand received from the
territorial
divisions of this Department, collection of following quantities of sand within
the safe ecological
limits has been allowed from the sites identified by the DFOs concerned:
Sl.No. Divisions Allottees of
2006-2007
Permitted for collection by
allottees of 2005 who had paid
royalty
1 Diglipur Forest Division 1200 3.5
2 Maybaunder Forest Division 8383 970
3 Middle Andaman Forest Division 4000 34
4 Baratang Forest Division 1000 0
5 Nicobar Division 4499.75 330.75
6 Little Andaman 2160 0
GRAND TOTAL 21242.75 1338.25
The collection of sand in various sites in the divisions shall be subject to the
following
conditions to safeguard environment and ecology of the coastal zone:
1. The total quantity of sand to be collected from each identified site shall
not exceed the
quantity of sand mentioned above.
2. The Divisional Forest Officer concerned shall also ensure that no collection
of sand is
carried out by the allottees/organisations from sites other than the sites
identified and
demarcated on ground by the division.
3. Collection of sand from the identified sites shall be carried out on the
basis of the mining
plan with adequate environmental safeguards to prevent any damage to the
sensitive
coastal eco-system including corals, turtles, crocodile, bird nesting sites and
Protected
Areas.
Page 2 of 23
4. Collection of sand from the identified sites shall be carried out by the
allottees only after
obtaining permits from the Divisional Forest Officer concerned on payment of the
royalty.
5. Permission already granted by Divisional Forest Officer(s) to the allottees
of sand during
2005 on payment of royalty shall be revalidated to enable them collection of
sand as shown
in Annexure-VIII.
6. Transportation of sand from the collection site(s) to the work-site(s) shall
only be permitted
after obtaining transit pass from the officer authorised by the Divisional
Forest Officer
concerned for the purpose.
7. Transportation of sand through the route other than that specified in the
transit pass shall
not be allowed. However, re-transportation of sand from fixed unloading points
to final
destination shall only be allowed after obtaining transit pass from the
authorised officers of
the Division having jurisdiction over the unloading/loading points.
8. Since the allotment of sand has been made to meet the bonafide requirements
of the
allottees/user agencies, sale/transfer of the allotted quantity of sand for
purpose other than
the purpose for which it has been allotted, shall hold the allottees/user
agencies liable to be
debarred from collection of the balance quantity, if any, as also the allotments
to be made
in future.
9. The mining activity and the environmental safeguards taken shall be monitored
by a
committee to be constituted by A & N Administration comprising of a
representative each
from the A&N Administration, Regional CCF(Central) of MoE&F at Bhubaneshwar and
NGO locally based at Port Blair. The monitoring report shall be sent quarterly
to
Ministry of Environment and Forests.
10. No collection of sand shall be permitted / undertaken after 31st March 2007.
The return on collection of sand from each site shall be submitted by the DFOs
concerned
on monthly basis in prescribed format by 5th of the following month, as already
instructed vide this
office letter No. CF/CP/SAND/3-1/50 dated 10th June, 2002.
Encl: As above.
(D.M.Shukla)
Conservator of Forests (D&U)
and Member Secretary
(Sand Allotment Committee)


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

From: TRINet



Weekly News September 25, 2006

TRINet in collaboration with the Department of Civil Engineering, IIT-Madras
invites you to a workshop on
Post-tsunami Habitat Reconstruction: Experiences and Lessons Learnt
September 29, 2006 at the IIT-Madras
For details and to participate, please write to info.trinet@...
Draft Programme at
http://www.trinet.in/modules/mydownloads/visit.php?cid=47&lid=248




TN Government
Tsunami related activities in Tamil Nadu as on 31 Aug 2006. The Government
of Tamil Nadu has so far sanctioned funds to the tune of Rs.1130.01 crore up
to 31.08.2006 for relief and rehabilitation activities in the areas affected
by tsunami with the assistance of Government of India. So far, 54,620 houses
have been taken up for construction. 8077 houses have been handed over.
Totally, 3179 houses have been completed. It is expected that another 16,843
houses will be given to the beneficiaries shortly and most of the rest by
31.12.2006.
http://www.tn.gov.in/tsunami/tsunami-relief.htm

GENERAL
Tsunami rehabilitation: still many hurdles remain to be cleared: Chennai:
Tamil Nadu while outlining its achievements in tsunami rehabilitation over
the past 20 months acknowledged that it still had several hurdles to cross.
R. Santhanam, Commissioner of Revenue Administration, called for a permanent
mechanism for coordinating activities in times of disaster. "Although
considerable work had been done on the rehabilitation front using the
public-private participation model, a permanent mechanism of interaction
needs to be developed," he said at a consultation meeting to take stock of
tsunami recovery. Some of the other problems that the State was trying to
address were the overexploitation of marine life due to excess distribution
of boats to people in tsunami affected areas, sustainability of self- help
groups formed immediately after the tsunami, social vulnerability of the
under privileged and protection of women widowed by the tsunami.
http://www.hindu.com/2006/09/23/stories/2006092317750800.htm


Housing planned for those vulnerable to tsunami: Presenting the final
recommendations at the end of a two-day consultation on tsunami recovery
with various stakeholders, Mr. Shanker said the Government would strive to
implement the ideas mooted during the deliberations. Some of the key
recommendations included improved co-ordination, expanding the scope of
private-public partnership for infrastructure building, strengthening health
services in the affected areas, finalising and periodically updating the
disaster management plan and regular training to those in coastal towns and
villages. Restoration and afforestation efforts need to be better planned
and monitored with specific reference to site identification and the species
chosen for planting, the participants said. The ongoing tsunami recovery
efforts should integrate future vulnerability factors, Mr.Shanker said.
Attention should be paid to co-ordination and sharing of information with
all stakeholders. Lauding the suggestions as "frank, informative and
useful," Relief Commissioner R.Santhanam said the Government would factor in
the recommendations while chalking out the next phase of the recovery
programme.
http://www.hindu.com/2006/09/24/stories/2006092406260600.htm


Discussing the role of the media: Pondicherry: Did the media sensationalise
the tsunami and its aftermath? Has it given necessary attention to the
rehabilitation and resettlement aspects? Has it been the watchdog that
people expect it to be? These were just a few of the questions that came up
at a two-day media round table on the role of the media in the resettlement
and rehabilitation of tsunami victims held recently at Pondicherry. While
most speakers were appreciative of the work of the media in the initial
relief period, they were critical about the coverage during the
rehabilitation process and said it had been watered down. After several
rounds of praise and mud-slinging, the round table came to a conclusion with
several recommendations to the media.
http://www.hindu.com/2006/09/18/stories/2006091809580200.htm


Expedite rehabilitation works, says panel of MPs: Nagapattinam: A
four-member Rajya Sabha committee on Member of Parliament Local Area
Development (MPLAD) scheme headed by K. Rahman Khan and three other MPs -
M.V. Mysura Reddy, Rajniti Prasad and C. Perumal - that inspected on Tuesday
the tsunami rehabilitation works being carried out in various parts of
Nagapattinam district through the funds provided by the MPs of Lok Sabha and
Rajya Sabha under the MPLAD scheme, instructed the district administration
to expedite the relief works. The panel members accompanied by officials
from the Union Ministry of Programme Implementation and the district
administration inspected the special school being built for the mentally
retarded in Nagapattinam at a cost of Rs.40 lakh, additional buildings of
the Government Hospital at Nagore being built at a cost of Rs.15 lakh and
also the permanent houses being built by several non-governmental
organisations at Pappakovil, Keechankuppam and other places.
http://www.hindu.com/2006/09/20/stories/2006092016420300.htm


Humanitarian agencies under fire: Kampung Jawa, Indonesia- The tsunami of
2004 triggered the biggest humanitarian response in history, feeding the
hungry, heading off epidemics and engendering the hope that out of a
calamity that took 216,000 lives, a better Indian Ocean rim would emerge.
But 18 months later recriminations abound, with aid agencies standing
accused of planning poorly, raising unrealistic expectations and simply
being incompetent. Brand-new homes infested with termites are being torn
down in Indonesia while families in India were put into poor-quality
shelters deemed uninhabitable because of the heat. Thousands of boats
donated to fishermen in Indonesia and Sri Lanka sit idle because they are
unseaworthy or too small. Only 23 per cent of the US$10.4 billion in
disaster aid to the worst hit countries, Indonesia and Sri Lanka, has been
spent, according to the United Nations, because so much of it is earmarked
for long-term construction projects. ''I think mistakes occur in every
disaster, but for the first time we are seeing it on a large scale,'' said
Anisya Thomas, managing director of the California-based Fritz Institute, a
non-governmental organization that specializes in delivering aid and has
surveyed survivors in India and Sri Lanka. ''Many large NGOs are involved in
rehabilitation and reconstruction activities beyond their capacity,'' Thomas
said. ''The large NGOs had trouble finding local resources and, when they
did, they often had trouble holding them accountable.''
http://www.dailyheraldtribune.com/z_humanitarianagenci0921.lasso

FINANCE
Towards efficiency in doing good: One of the fascinating developments today
is the application of management theories to philanthropy or, seen in
another way, the desire to do public good but with a keen eye on efficiency.
And this has relevance for us in India. In India, we have several decades of
experience both with the theory and the practice of aid. India has been
influential in the evolution of doctrines on developmental assistance and
has also traditionally been a major recipient. We had valid perspectives
some of which were respected and accepted: that aid should not necessarily
be tied and conditional; should take into account national priorities and
capabilities and not reflect only the donor sentiments or preferences;
should be with the consent and cooperation of the government rather than
imposed or handed down; and should create capacity in the recipient rather
than fostering dependency.
http://www.hindu.com/2006/09/22/stories/2006092206021100.htm

DISASTER PREPAREDNESS
Importance of disaster preparedness highlighted. Port Blair, Sept.17:
Providing first aid, shifting to safer places and caring of families and
arrangements at make-shift accommodation were the highlights of the mock
drill on disaster preparedness held at Garacharma I, Gram Panchayat Bhavan
to sensitize people about their responsibility as what to do and how to
manage the situation during crisis. A Patwari level disaster management
committee has been formed by the District Administration in all panchayats
spread all over the islands. The committee involves Pradhan and other PRI
members, anganwadi members, youth clubs, mahila mondals besides the main
live departments who are expected to play a major role in the crisis
management in their respective villages with responsibility before help
comes from the District Administration.
http://www.and.nic.in/monday.htm


First course on disaster preparedness to begin today: New Delhi, Sept 18.:
In an effort to formally train officials in disaster preparedness,
rehabilitation programmes, the Indian Red Cross Society will start its
first-of-its-kind year-long post-graduate diploma course on the subject on
Tuesday. The first batch of 30 students mostly includes government
nominees - 10 doctors from the health ministry, two joint registrars of the
Supreme Court, officials from the agriculture and economic affairs
department, armed forces and Parliament's grievance department. Costing Rs
27,000, the course will give the students "practical lessons on the field
that will help them deal with the next earthquake, tsunami or flood better".
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2003976.cms


ICSU hosts conference on hazards and disasters: Building on an initiative
launched last year, the International Council for Science (ICSU) today held
its first conference on environmental hazards and disasters. The conference,
which took place in conjunction with the official inauguration of ICSU's
Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, addressed how science could be
used to prevent natural and human-induced hazards from becoming catastrophic
events. UNESCO, through its Regional Office for Science in Jakarta, and the
Academy of Sciences of Malaysia co-sponsored the conference. Speakers at
today's conference focused on hazards like extreme weather events,
earthquake prediction, landslides and land fires, tsunami early warning
systems and the effects of the 2004 tsunami on livelihoods in the Indian
Ocean area.
http://www.innovations-report.de/html/berichte/umwelt_naturschutz/bericht-70650.\
html


In conversation: In light of the fact that the first ever South Asia
Disaster Report has now been made public with a whole slew of
recommendations on how disasters could be managed better in the region, the
onus is on the sub-continental neighbours to pay heed to it. Vishaka
Hidellage, country director, Practical Action, one of the major contributors
to the comprehensive report, spoke to Sucharita Sengupta on how efforts are
being made to integrate the region on one effective platform-disaster
management. Read the interview at
http://www.teriin.org/terragreen/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=18&It\
emid=2

LIVELIHOODS
CARI training on revitalization of tsunami affected farmers: Port Blair,
Sept 20 Central Agricultural Research Institute, Port Blair will be
organizing a training on 'Revitalization of tsunami affected farmers- a step
towards better tomorrow' from tomorrow to Sept 26 for the farmers of South
Andaman and Little Andaman.   The training is being organized by CARI in
association with the Central Soil Salinity Research Institute, Karnal and
Action Aid International (India) as part of the consultancy project on
suggesting cost effective solution for the development of appropriate land
reclamation programme in tsunami affected, Andaman and Nicobar and the
Maldives.
http://www.and.nic.in/thursday.htm


Isles problems discussed, Port Blair, Sept 19 : Providing of safe drinking
water in all the islands on priority basis through the APWD was among the
issues which came up for discussion when a delegation of ANTCC led by its
President, Shri Kuldeep Rai Sharma met the Administrator. The discussion was
focused on providing compensation for losses of animals and birds to the
tsunami affected farmers besides supplying cow and goat free of cost. The
delegation also highlighted the need for doing away with the present
practice of bringing deputationists from mainland in DANI Cadre posts, which
is causing deprivation to the equally competent local officers in various
Departments. It also favoured appointment of locals only in general category
posts under the A&N Administration.
http://www.and.nic.in/wednesday.htm

HOUSING AND INFRASTRUCTURE
Rosaiah opens Fishland: Ongole: Minister for Finance and Health Konijeti
Rosaiah on Tuesday declared open Fishland, constructed at a cost of Rs 1
crore with modern facilities for storage and marketing of fish, at Vadarevu
in Chirala mandal of Prakasam district. Later, he inaugurated a residential
complex of 60 houses built for tsunami victims and laid the foundation-stone
for another 40-house complex for the same cause.
http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IEA20060920042034&Topic=0&Title=Sout\
hern%20News%20-%20Andhra%20Pradesh&Page=A


Building schools part of tsunami rehabilitation, says Collector: The
Pondicherry Collector, G. Theva Needhi Dhas, has said that the
rehabilitation of tsunami victims does not stop with just building them
houses, but included building schools for the children and providing other
facilities for them. He was speaking after inaugurating the science, social
and mathematics laboratories, and the water purification system and
children's park at Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV) School in Periya Kalapet
recently. Appreciating the work of World Vision - ITRT, Puducherry, which
donated the facilities to JNV, Mr. Dhas suggested that a computer aided
language laboratory be started at the school. Mr. Dhas also distributed
financial assistance of Rs.5,20,000 to 56 students affected by the tsunami
for the pursuance of higher education.
http://www.hindu.com/2006/09/21/stories/2006092103790200.htm


Eco-friendly toilets installed: Tiruchirappalli, Sept 19: A tsunami-hit
village near Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu has become the first in the state to
have 50 eco-friendly toilets installed by a social service organisation. The
50 new technology 'Ecosan' toilets have been installed at Kameswaram
village. Under this system, liquid and solid waste are collected separately.
Liquid waste is used to water plants in the gardens in the houses while
solids get composted in six months and is used for agricultural purposes.It
also saves water, using four litres per flush, compared to 10-12 litres in
conventional toilets, M Subramaniam, director of Society for Community
Organisation and People's Education (SCOPE), which installed the toilets,
told reporters today. Each toilet costs Rs 6,500, of which UNICEF has given
Rs 2,500, DRDA Rs 1,200 and Friends In Need Rs 1,000. The house owner puts
in the balance amount. The need to build such toilets was felt as NGOs in
tsunami-hit areas, who have built permanent houses for fishermen, have built
pit latrines, unsuitable to high water table coastal areas.
http://www.chennaionline.com/colnews/newsitem.asp?NEWSID=%7BE2028F6F-AC7A-42A2-9\
B5D-A711312E4019%7D&CATEGORYNAME=Tamil+Nadu


SEZ status offered to foreign firms producing non-conventional energy:
Chennai: K.E. Ragunaathan, managing director of Solkar Solar Industry,
gifted four wind generators to select households in the tsunami-affected
area of Nagapattinam.
http://www.hindu.com/2006/09/18/stories/2006091810650500.htm


Administrator reviews rehab. & reconstruction process in Nicobars: Port
Blair, Sept 17: Despite constraints and impediments galore, the
rehabilitation and reconstruction process in the Nicobar group of islands is
progressing at a reasonable good pace. Challenges in this remote areas for
carrying out such works are far more than any other places.   During his
brief visit to Car Nicobar, the Administrator met the leaders of the Tribal
Council at Chukchucha and assured them that their grievances on various
fronts would be addressed on priority. Replying to some problems of the
people in Car Nicobar put forth on the occasion by Shri Thomas Philip, the
Administrator informed that the vessels MV Chawra and MV Sentinal will
restart berthing in Car Nicobar at Mus Jetty once the sea condition gets
better in another months time or so. Besides, the demand for pressing into
service tug-boats for Car Nicobar as also the additional common shelters
will be looked into.
http://www.and.nic.in/monday.htm

CHILDREN
Community Helps Nicobarese Tsunami Orphan in Recovery - A Case Study:
Tribal Nicobarese have an extended family system in which words like
"orphan" and "widow" are not a part of the sociocultural lexicon. As a
result the orphans and widows have always been absorbed into the extended
family networks. Thus, the responsibility of tsunami orphan 3½ year old
Serafina's upbringing is not viewed as onerous but one of routine and is
accepted as such. She and her older sister Pamela now live with their
extended family in a brick structure stationed amidst coconut and pandana
trees. Children are the most vulnerable group in any disaster and orphans
particularly so. However, traditional Nicobarese family networks and
Anganwadi Centres, in complimenting each other in providing for and
nurturing the growth and development of children from the very beginning of
their lives, have played major roles in mitigating what might have been
virulent psychological and physical trauma of the tsunami. For more
information, see http://www.unicef.org/india/index.html
http://www.tsunamispecialenvoy.org/progressreports/unicef5.asp

INDONESIA

Update on construction in Aceh: In March, Save the Children announced it had
uncovered a number of serious problems in its housing construction in Aceh
Province, Indonesia. The agency has taken action to improve oversight of its
programs. It temporarily suspended all new construction, launched a full
investigation and restructured its construction team. Save the Children had
entered into contracts to build 708 homes. The agency's inspections have
found that 64 homes need to be replaced, 507 require repairs and 137 are in
various stages of completion, some requiring additional repairs.
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/AMMF-6TTGZ5?OpenDocument&rc=3&emid=\
TS-2004-000147-LKA


Mercy Malaysia rebuilds nursing academy in Aceh that promises to restore
lost capacity: MERCY Malaysia yesterday opened the doors of its latest
rehabilitation and reconstruction project, a Nursing Academy block at the
Universitas Syiah Kuala Banda Aceh (UNSYIAH). The construction of this
nursing academy was made possible through a generous contribution from
Petroliam Nasional Berhad (PETRONAS). The architectural design of the new
nursing academy not only incorporates seismic resistant elements throughout
the facility, but also includes a designated assembly area for students as
well as a 'Disaster Management Zone'. This will lead its occupants to the
nearest and safest exit route in the event of earthquakes and other
disasters. The nursing academy in UNSYIAH is MERCY Malaysia's 13th project
focusing on rehabilitation and reconstruction in Aceh since the 2004
tsunami.
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/YAOI-6TT9TA?OpenDocument&rc=3&emid=\
TS-2004-000147-LKA


Protesters attack Aceh tsunami reconstruction office: Banda Aceh, Indonesia-
Hundreds of Indonesian protesters vented their anger on Wednesday against
the state body tasked with reconstructing tsunami-hit Aceh province,
throwing stones at police and the agency's office. The mob, which had camped
outside the office since Tuesday night, accused the reconstruction agency,
BRR, of sluggishness in providing decent housing for survivors of the
December 26, 2004, tsunami that left 170,000 killed or missing and half a
million homeless in Aceh. The rally turned violent after police tried to
disperse the crowd, which in return showered the officers with stones,
officials said.
http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/articlenews.aspx?type=tsunamiNews&storyID=2006-0\
9-20T075628Z_01_JAK21731_RTRUKOC_0_UK-INDONESIA-ACEH.xml


UNICEF opens standard-setting schools in Indonesia's Aceh: The first of 367
permanent schools for Aceh and Nias were officially opened on Monday with
support from UNICEF. The schools, called Muhammadiyah 1 and 2, will set new
standards in child-friendly design and earthquake resistance in the tsunami
ravaged province of Aceh. Each school has a teachers' room and a laboratory.
It also has six classrooms, each measuring a spacious 56 square meters. The
design accommodates up to 30 children in a standard classroom setting with
furnishings, lighting and a small sink with clean, running water so children
can wash their hands and practice hygienic behaviour at a young age.
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/SODA-6TT3HY?OpenDocument

SRI LANKA
Cash grants and microfinance in livelihood recovery: experiences from
tsunami-affected areas of Sri Lanka: The injection of large amounts of cash
through cash grants and CFW has been a major concern of micro-finance
institutions (MFIs) since cash-based assistance has a direct linkage with
microfinance institutions and programmes. Concerns voiced by micro-finance
providers in various forums and discussions include: (i) widespread
provision of cash grants negatively affects the credit culture of
micro-finance customers; and (ii) micro-finance providers do not have
sufficient clients for their services/products, leading to closure for some.
Cash grant providers argue (i) that cash grants do not necessarily cause
loan-takers to lose discipline in making repayments; (ii) that cash grants
can positively impact on micro-finance interventions by enabling customers
to take on micro-finance by helping them to recover lost assets; (iii) that
after a large-scale disaster existing micro finance programme must adapt;
and (iv) that micro-finance programmes exclude (whether intentionally or
unintentionally) the very poorest, who are unfamiliar with loans and are
unwilling to take them on, or who are excluded due to excessive membership
fees. Documentation of agencies' positions and the beneficiaries' views is
needed to clarify the arguments. The full report is available at
http://www.reliefweb.int/library/documents/2006/odihpg-lka-29mar.pdf
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/AMMF-6TTHR8?OpenDocument&rc=3&emid=\
TS-2004-000147-LKA


Tsunami Disaster - Street drama set to change attitudes: People with
disabilities and many women living with HIV/Aids in Sri Lanka still
experience discrimination and stigma from their villages, but they also fear
talking about these problems. "Many people experience these problems but are
afraid to talk openly. They never look for any kind of support as they feel
ashamed," says a Dinesh Abeysundara, a lawyer who accompanied ActionAid on a
campaign launched to help eradicate these problems. The campaign is aimed at
raising awareness among the communities to respect the rights of women,
people with disabilities and those living with HIV/Aids. It has covered 40
villages and public places in August in the tsunami affected district of
Hambantota, in southern Sri Lanka. During the campaign, a mobile caravan
carrying sensitization material such as booklets, brochures and stickers
printed in local languages accompanied a group of performing artist called
the Dharana Street Drama collective, which uses street drama to break the
myths and misconceptions on such rights. After the performances, discussions
are held to identify new problems as well as provide information and advice
on how to access legal services, especially for women affected by violence.
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/YAOI-6TU336?OpenDocument


THAILAND
Recovery from SARS and tsunami in danger: The coup that felled Prime
Minister Thaksin Shinawatra of Thailand could deal a blow to a tourism
industry that is just recovering from the tsunami of December 2004. The
tourism industry accounts for 7.5 percent of Thailand's economy. "Tourists
will try to avoid the country," said Teo Chon Kiat, an equities manager at
DBS Asset Management in Singapore. "This will also affect the economy
because tourism makes up quite a substantial portion of the economy."
http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/09/20/bloomberg/bxtour.php

MALDIVES
Beyond Tsunami - Working Together to Regain Maldives' Development Momentum:
Besides supporting the Government of the Maldives in the areas of democratic
governance, poverty reduction and energy and environment, UNDP has now
embarked on a comprehensive programme of post-tsunami recovery. Called the
Adopt-an-island programme, it will focus on shelter, infrastructure,
livelihoods, disaster risk-management and aid co-ordination. But recovery
means not just bringing the Maldives back to pre-tsunami development levels.
More importantly it means taking it forward to face the challenges faced by
the Millennium Development Goals and improving the lives of ordinary
Maldivians. UNDP will be there to support the government as it embarks on
this process.
http://www.mv.undp.org/index.aspx?PageId=69

top
Disclaimer:
This news update is provided by TRINet for the benefit of those working in
tsunami rehabilitation
purely for information purposes only.
Please send your comments to info.trinet@...
Visit us at: www.trinet.in

THE DAILY TELEGRAMS, Sept. 22, 2006
Workshop on RTI Act witnesses brain-storming discussion
Port Blair, Sept 21
    A brain-storming session was witnessed on the first day of the two-day
workshop on Right to Information Act, which commenced in the conference hall
of the Industries Department, Middle Point today. The workshop discussed
threadbare the entire gamut of issues relating to implementation of RTI Act
in letter and spirit. Altogether 43 officers, appointed in their respective
Departments as PIOs and APIOs, are participating in the programme, which has
been organized by the A&N Administration in collaboration with the Institute
of Secretariat Management & Training (ISMT), Department of Personnel &
Training, New Delhi.
    Addressing the inaugural session as the chief guest, the Secretary, (AR&
Trng.), Shri G Badgaiyan highlighted the importance of RTI Act to keep the
citizenry informed by furnishing certain information to them as and when
they desire to have it. Giving an anecdote, he compared public information
with a car, citizenry as the owner and the public servant the driver. He
said it is expedient for the public authority to provide for furnishing
certain information to citizen.
    Underlining the need for creating greater awareness about the RTI Act,
the Secretary exhorted the participant officers to make optimum use of the
interaction on the subject and ensure that the knowledge gained is
transferred to other concerned officials for effective implementation of the
RTI Act. He also thanked ISMT for organizing the training here in
collaboration with A&N Administration.
    The two resource persons, Shri Mahabir S Kasana, Joint Director and Shri
A Ganguly, Dy. Director, ISMT, apart from giving an overview of the issues
slated for discussion in the workshop, also answered querries raised by the
participants on various aspects of RTI Act in today's session.
    Earlier, the Asstt. Secretary, AR, Smt L C Jhohn welcomed the chief guest
and others present on the occasion.

THE DAILY TELEGRAMS. Sept. 22, 2006
Indonesia warship on isles visit
Port Blair, Sept. 21
  Indonesia Warship KRI Cut Nyak Dien arrived on a two-day visit to Port
Blair for the closing ceremony of month long IND-INDO Coordinated Patrol.
She was accorded a traditional welcome by the Command.
    The Commanding Officer of the ship called on Vice Admiral Arun Kumar
Singh, Commanding-in-Chief, Andaman and Nicobar Command. During their
meeting, various issue related to the conduct of the Coordinated Patrol were
discussed.
    Under the Coordinated Patrol, ships and Maritime Patrol aircrafts of both
Navies carried extensive patrolling in their respective areas around the
International Maritime Boundary line. The purpose is to enhance mutual
understanding and their operability between the two Navies. The joint patrol
has been effective in preventing smuggling, piracy, drug trafficking and
illegal fishing in respective areas of interest of both the countries. The
officers and men of the foreign ship would interact with their counter parts
in the scheduled social events.

Anoop the simplest thing that the peoples of Andaman can do is to stop Prof
Sahai from entering the Andaman so that he does not spread the disease of
sustainability. Ram
   ----- Original Message -----
   From: anpkmr71
   To: andamanicobar@...
   Sent: Thursday, September 21, 2006 1:47 PM
   Subject: [andamanicobar] Re: Prof. Sahai to study condition of Andaman tribes
::: The Light of Andamans ::: Issue 39 ::: 16 Sept 2006


   Hi,

   "The survival of these tribes is the main issue as their population
   has reduced to an alarming extent. The government and several welfare
   organisations are continuously attempting to inculcate the
   sustainable means of living but the uncompromising attitude of few of
   the tribes have brought them on the verge of extinction," informed
   Prof Sahai.

   Can anybody tell me, who this professor is.
   Hope somebody teaches him the ways of the tribes...

   Regards,
   Anoop



   --- In andamanicobar@..., "zubair ahmed"
   <zubairpbl@g...> wrote:
   >
   > *The Light of Andamans ::: Issue 39 ::: 16 Sept 2006*
   > *Prof. Sahai to study *
   > *condition **of Andaman tribes*
   >
   > *Another "Expert Group" is on its way to study the ways and means to
   > inculcate sustainable means of living amongst the uncompromising
   tribes, as
   > assumed by Prof. Sahai and his group. The tribes, particularly, the
   Jarawas
   > are not through with the new prescription of the Planning
   Commission's
   > Subgroup of Experts.*
   > Head of Allahabad University's Department of Anthropology Prof VS
   Sahai will
   > visit Andaman and Nicobar Island in October to observe the
   condition of the
   > tribes in the islands.
   > Prof Sahai has been made a member of the Scientific Expert
   Committee formed
   > by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest to investigate the
   status of
   > forest and allied affairs in the islands.
   >
   > Andaman and Nicobar islands are home to some of the fast-vanishing
   > aboriginal tribes of the world. Few of the tribes are isolated and
   remain
   > untouched with the outside world while most of them have accepted
   the social
   > changes occurring in the rest of the world. Four Negrito and two
   > Indo-Mongoloid races of tribes exist in the Andaman and Nicobar
   Islands. The
   > Great Andamanese, Onge, Jarawa and the Sentinelese belong to the
   Negrito
   > race while the Indo-Mongoloid group tribes include the Nicobarese
   and the
   > Shompen.
   >
   > "The survival of these tribes is the main issue as their population
   has
   > reduced to an alarming extent. The government and several welfare
   > organisations are continuously attempting to inculcate the
   sustainable means
   > of living but the uncompromising attitude of few of the tribes have
   brought
   > them on the verge of extinction," informed Prof Sahai.
   >
   > "The government has built homes, roads, jetties and several
   instruments of
   > civilisation in the islands.
   > The confrontation of these primitive tribes to the new world has
   also
   > desecrated the traditions of these tribes. The Jarawa tribe which
   is one of
   > the most primitive tribe has been affected by the Great Andaman
   Road passing
   > through their places of habitation. The Jarawa tribe peoples were
   reported
   > to have adopted the habit of begging and stealing instead of their
   inherent
   > character of hunting for survival", he added.
   > According to Prof Sahai a commission was formed by Ministry of
   Environment
   > and Forest to check the status of forest and other allied matters
   in Andaman
   > and Nicobar Islands. The commission was headed by Shekhar Singh who
   filed
   > his report recently.
   > The Ministry of Environment and Forest has formed a Scientific
   Expert
   > Committee to check the feasibility of Shekhar Commission report. The
   > five-member committee includes Emeritus Prof CR Babu from School of
   > Environmental Studies, University of Delhi, PC Kesavan from
   Department of
   > Atomic Energy, former Chief Conservator of Forests, Government of
   Tamil Nadu
   > S Kondas  and KV Raju from Institute of Social and Economic Change,
   > Bangalore besides Prof Sahai. The committee will stay here for
   about ten
   > days.
   >
   >
   > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
   >








------------------------------------------------------------------------------


   Internal Virus Database is out-of-date.
   Checked by AVG Free Edition.
   Version: 7.1.405 / Virus Database: 268.11.6/428 - Release Date: 8/25/2006


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hi,

"The survival of these tribes is the main issue as their population
has reduced to an alarming extent. The government and several welfare
organisations are continuously attempting to inculcate the
sustainable means of living but the uncompromising attitude of few of
the tribes have brought them on the verge of extinction," informed
Prof Sahai.

Can anybody tell me, who this professor is.
Hope somebody teaches him the ways of the tribes...

Regards,
Anoop



--- In andamanicobar@..., "zubair ahmed"
<zubairpbl@g...> wrote:
>
> *The Light of Andamans ::: Issue 39 ::: 16 Sept 2006*
> *Prof. Sahai to study *
> *condition **of Andaman tribes*
>
> *Another "Expert Group" is on its way to study the ways and means to
> inculcate sustainable means of living amongst the uncompromising
tribes, as
> assumed by Prof. Sahai and his group. The tribes, particularly, the
Jarawas
> are not through with the new prescription of the Planning
Commission's
> Subgroup of Experts.*
> Head of Allahabad University's Department of Anthropology Prof VS
Sahai will
> visit Andaman and Nicobar Island in October to observe the
condition of the
> tribes in the islands.
> Prof Sahai has been made a member of the Scientific Expert
Committee formed
> by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest to investigate the
status of
> forest and allied affairs in the islands.
>
> Andaman and Nicobar islands are home to some of the fast-vanishing
> aboriginal tribes of the world. Few of the tribes are isolated and
remain
> untouched with the outside world while most of them have accepted
the social
> changes occurring in the rest of the world. Four Negrito and two
> Indo-Mongoloid races of tribes exist in the Andaman and Nicobar
Islands. The
> Great Andamanese, Onge, Jarawa and the Sentinelese belong to the
Negrito
> race while the Indo-Mongoloid group tribes include the Nicobarese
and the
> Shompen.
>
> "The survival of these tribes is the main issue as their population
has
> reduced to an alarming extent. The government and several welfare
> organisations are continuously attempting to inculcate the
sustainable means
> of living but the uncompromising attitude of few of the tribes have
brought
> them on the verge of extinction," informed Prof Sahai.
>
> "The government has built homes, roads, jetties and several
instruments of
> civilisation in the islands.
> The confrontation of these primitive tribes to the new world has
also
> desecrated the traditions of these tribes. The Jarawa tribe which
is one of
> the most primitive tribe has been affected by the Great Andaman
Road passing
> through their places of habitation. The Jarawa tribe peoples were
reported
> to have adopted the habit of begging and stealing instead of their
inherent
> character of hunting for survival", he added.
> According to Prof Sahai a commission was formed by Ministry of
Environment
> and Forest to check the status of forest and other allied matters
in Andaman
> and Nicobar Islands. The commission was headed by Shekhar Singh who
filed
> his report recently.
> The Ministry of Environment and Forest has formed a Scientific
Expert
> Committee to check the feasibility of Shekhar Commission report. The
> five-member committee includes Emeritus Prof CR Babu from School of
> Environmental Studies, University of Delhi, PC Kesavan from
Department of
> Atomic Energy, former Chief Conservator of Forests, Government of
Tamil Nadu
> S Kondas  and KV Raju from Institute of Social and Economic Change,
> Bangalore besides Prof Sahai. The committee will stay here for
about ten
> days.
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

Pact on anvil to conserve whales, dolphins
Correspondent : Staff Reporter
SOURCE : The Pioneer, Friday, September 15, 2006
A group of South Pacific nations will sign an agreement to help protect and
conserve whale and dolphin species, New Zealand Conservation Minister Chris
Carter said on Thursday.
The memorandum, developed under the International Convention on Migratory
Species, is due to be adopted on Friday at a ministerial meeting of the
South Pacific Regional Environment Program in the New Caledonian capital,
Noumea, he said.
Up to 11 South Pacific nations were likely to sign the regional agreement,
with a minimum of four signatories needed to bring it into force, Carter
said. Among South Pacific states likely to take part are Australia, New
Zealand, Fiji, Cook Islands, Tonga, Samoa and Vanuatu, but a spokesman for
the Minister, Nick Maling, declined to confirm those expected to sign.
Vanuatu was the latest to join several South Pacific states in declaring a
whale sanctuary in its exclusive economic zone, stretching up to 320 kms
from its shoreline. The memorandum commits signatory states to a range of
voluntarily initiatives to protect and preserve whales and dolphins,
including unspecified threat reduction measures and habitat protection.

SOURCE : The Hindu, Friday, September 15, 2006
PO: forest wildlife specimens seizure Wildlife specimens seized
Correspondent : Staff Reporter
Sea horses, cobras, sea snakes and other species found by authorities
CHENNAI : Wildlife officials in the city seized a large quantity of dead
wildlife specimens, illegally kept in a private laboratory in Saidapet on
Thursday.
Ashish Kumar Srivastava, Wildlife Warden, Chennai, said following a tip off
from the volunteers of People for Animals, a check was conducted in a
small-scale unit on West Jones Road where a few specimens of sea horses and
snakes were found. However the proprietor of the unit was away. Wildlife
officials seized the specimens kept in formaldehyde.
At a second unit located on East Mada Street in Sri Nagar Colony, Saidapet,
the officials seized specimens of draco, cobras, a large number of sea
horses and a few other species of snakes including sea snakes.
Categorised
Most of the specimens seized are categorised under various Schedules of the
Wildlife Protection Act of 1972. The second unit was taken care of by an
elderly couple and the Wildlife authorities interrogated them.
Preliminary investigations by the Wildlife authorities revealed that these
illegally run units allegedly trapped the specimens in the wild and later
sold them to educational institutions.
Wildlife authorities added that only on Friday would the quantity of seized
wildlife be known and further action decided.

Wonder what the Thai coup means for the A&N. Wasn't the Indian Navy
planning to cooperate with the Thai military in patrolling the region?
Madhusree


> ACHR WEEKLY REVIEW
> [The weekly commentary and analysis of the Asian Centre for Human
> Rights]
> C-3/441-C, Janakpuri, New Delhi-110058, India
> Tel/Fax:  +91-11-25620583, 25503624
> Website: www.achrweb.org; Email: achr_review@...
>
>
> Index: Review/133/2006
> Embargoed for: 20 September 2006
>
> Dear Sir/Madam,
>
> Please find attached the latest issue of the ACHR REVIEW
> titled "Thailand's coup de tat: Time for interventions by King
> Bhumibol Adulyadej, UNGA and UNHRC." It is available at
> http://www.achrweb.org/Review/2006/133-06.htm
>
> The coup de tat and subsequent measures taken by the military
> including suspension of the 1997 "people's constitution", dissolution
> of both houses of parliament, the government and the constitution
> court and detention of political leaders in Thailand are illegal. His
> Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, United Nations and ASEAN countries
> must immediately intervene not to recognise the military regime,
> restore civilian authority and avoid future bloodbaths.
> Asian Centre for Human Rights makes the following recommendations:
> To His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej:
> .  Issue a public statement to ensure that the audience granted is not
> mis-construed as supporting the military junta;
> .  Declare the suspension of the 1997 "people's constitution",
> dissolution of both houses of parliament, the government and the
> constitution court as illegal;
> .  Order the release Deputy Prime Minister Chidchai Vanasatidya and
> Supreme Commander Ruengroj Mahasaranont, Defence Minister General
> Thammarak Isarangkun and the pro-Thaksin television host Dusit Siriwan
> from detention;
> .  Order restoration of freedom of the press including access to
> foreign news channels.
> To the 61st session of the United Nations General Assembly and UN
> Human Rights Council:
> .  Invite Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to address the august
> bodies to send a clear message that the United Nations only recognizes
> civilian authorities in Thailand ;
> .  Hold "Special Debate on the situation in Thailand" and adopt
> appropriate resolutions for the restoration of democracy, press
> freedom and release of all the detainees in Thailand.
> To the United States, European Union, ASEAN and other democratic
> countries:
> .  Make official statements not to recognize the coup de tat;
> .  Impose sanctions against the military dictators including a visa
> ban and a freeze on assets of the members of the ARC and other senior
> members of the Thai Army;
> .  Impose a ban on technical assistance, on financing and financial
> assistance related to military activities by the Thai military until
> the civilian authorities are restored.
>
> With kind regards,
>
> Yours sincerely
>
>
> Suhas Chakma
> Director
>
> Encl: a.a.
>
>
>

Tsunai Rehab Information Network, TRINET
Subject: Weekly News 18 September 2006


TRINet Workshop Announcement
Post-tsunami Habitat Reconstruction: Experiences and Lessons Learnt
September 29, 2006 at the IIT-Madras
For details and to participate, please write to info.trinet@...




General
'Mangroves for the Future' initiative: To make the coastlines affected by
the Indian Ocean tsunami more secure, the governments of the Indian Ocean
countries and more than 140 organizations have rallied in the largest
coalition ever to invest in and conserve coastal ecosystems. Taking
responsibility for the state of their coasts, ten countries of the Indian
Ocean which are Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, Sri Lanka,
Tanzania, Thailand, the Seychelles and the Maldives are participating in the
'Mangroves for the Future' initiative. The program, a 62-million dollar (or
2480 million baht) initiative, is coordinated by the World Conservation
Union (IUCN) und the UN Development Programme. The initiative aims to
conserve and restore mangroves and other coastal ecosystems to improve human
well-being and security in the Indian Ocean region. It will help governments
address long-term problems - including unsustainable tourism development,
shrimp farming and industrial pollution - that have resulted in the loss of
25 percent of the mangrove forests in Indian Ocean countries. It aims to
recover coastal areas - estuaries, brackish lagoons, beach forests and
mangroves - that protect the livelihoods of 625 million people living along
the coast from big waves and storms, and provide important nurseries for
fish and habitat for birds, reptiles and mammals.
Andaman News TV11 Phuket:
http://www.thaisnews.com/news_detail.php?newsid=187489


Pondicherry Govt to ensure rehabilitation of tsunami victims: Pondicherry,
Sept 15.: Pondicherry Relief and Rehabilitation Commissioner B V Selvaraj on
Thursday, said that the rehabilitation of the tsunami victims was undertaken
to ensure upgradation in quality of life. Inaugurating a two-day media
conference on 'Restructuring and Rehabilitation of tsunami victims and the
role of media 'jointly organised by 'Asia Media Information and
Communication Centre', New Delhi and 'Media Education for awareness and
Cultural transformation', here, Mr Selvaraj said the Planning Commission and
other high-powered bodies had lauded the performance of the Project
Implementation Agency(PIA) here. They said PIA pattern should be taken as a
role model whenever natural disasters affect the people and the community.
Paying tributes to the responsible role played by the fourth estate in
Pondicherry, dissiminating information about relief and rehabilitation work
without sensationalising the activities of the Government, Mr Selvaraj said
the Government is adopting a transparent approach at every stage.
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/004200609150313.htm


Designers create dining table that can be used as a life raft: London- Two
designers have come up with an unusual way of escaping a flash flood: a
dining table that can quickly be converted to a life raft. The table,
entitled Either Oar, has removable legs that convert into paddles and a
built-in buoyancy tank. It is part of a series of designs created "as a
response to climate change and natural disasters of recent times," an
apparent reference crises such as Asia's tsunami in 2004 and last year's
Hurricane Katrina in the United States. The "Climatized Objects" range was
designed by David Cameron and Toby Hadden. Other dual-purpose devices of
theirs include a vase that switches to an emergency flashlight if knocked
from its ledge, and a series of picture frames that turn into flashing
navigational aids.
http://www.pennlive.com/newsflash/international/index.ssf?/base/international-0/\
115834825532230.xml&storylist=international

FINANCE AND ACCOUNTABILITY
Challenges, accountability in relief work: At a time when charities are
facing greater demands for accountability of public donations, civil society
organisations (CSOs) involved in disaster relief work are having it tough.
They may receive the biggest sums, for example, in response to the Asian
tsunami, but they also face the biggest challenge to deliver results. But
staying accountable to the public may not be a hopeless cause, said Dr Tan
in a session on how CSOs can operate responsibly in the field and remain
responsive to their stakeholders - the first forum session for CSOs in the
International Monetary Fund-World Bank summit. To do so, though,
accountability should not just be about results, he said. It could also be
about communication. CSOs could have a "well-documented, pre-arranged
process to report changes against their deliverables" when merited, he
proposed. He also suggested having a risk-management framework to detail
areas of risk, such as corruption. His fellow panellist, Mercy Malaysia
president Jemilah Mahmood, highlighted the need to be accountable to the
beneficiaries of relief work, too. She suggested that CSOs do this by
involving affected communities in the planning stage of relief efforts.
http://www.todayonline.com/articles/142689.asp


Tsunami-hit get financial assistance: Tripunithura: Minister for Agriculture
Mullakkara Ratnakaran distributed $ 1,000, collected by Aquaculture Without
Frontiers (AWF), a US-based NGO, to four tsunami-hit fishermen families
residing in Edavanakkadu panchayat at a function held at Panangad Fisheries
College on Wednesday. Rajaji Mathew Thomas MLA, in his presidential address,
underscored the need for a new agricultural policy suitable for middle-class
farmers who own 20 to 60 cents of farmland. He also urged experts to draft
new projects suitable for fish farming in granite quarries. ''Aquaculture
Without Frontiers is a Universal Non-Government Organisation working for the
welfare of farmers all over the world,'' said Dr Manoj Kumar, while
describing the activities of AWF.
http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IER20060914020129&Page=R&Title=Keral\
a&Topic=0



TSUNAMI WARNING
Tsunami warning system in A.P. by next year: Hyderabad: The likelihood of
any area along the country's coast being battered by a tsunami in the event
of a major undersea earthquake will be foretold once the Rs.125-crore Indian
Tsunami Early Warning System becomes fully operational here by next
September. An interim early warning system is already functioning at the
Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) here since
March this year. Based on the data received at the centre, scientists had
discounted well in advance the possibility of a tsunami hitting the coast
after a major earthquake had occurred in South Java a few months ago. INCOIS
Director Sailesh Naik told The Hindu that four imported bottom pressure
recorders (BPRs) along with as many buoys would be installed by this
month-end in the south Bay of Bengal. Another two would be placed before
December. The BPRs to be placed on the seabed would constantly monitor water
level changes and transmit the data to a buoy, which in turn, would send it
across to the centre via satellite. The BPRs were tested by the
Chennai-based National Institute of Ocean Technology. "If the water level
crosses a certain threshold value, we will receive data within 15 seconds,"
said another INCOIS official. Normally BPRs would send information every 15
minutes. Apart from the six BPRs, four more would be installed as part of
the total system in the coming months.
http://www.hindu.com/2006/09/16/stories/2006091606210600.htm


UN environment agency partners with Google Earth to spotlight crisis zones:
Google Earth - Google's 3D virtual world browser now provides the option to
use "UNEP: Atlas of our Changing Environment," which offers satellite images
of 100 environmental hotspots from around the world.  The project builds on
the success of UNEP's popular hardcover release One Planet, Many People:
Atlas of our Changing Environment. "These satellite pictures are a wake-up
call to all of us to look at the sometimes devastating changes we are
wreaking on our planet," said UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner.
"Through spectacular imagery, Google Earth and UNEP offer a new way of
visualizing the dangers facing our planet today. By tapping into the global
Google community, we are able to reach out to millions of people who can
mobilize and make a difference."
www.un.org/news


LIVELIHOODS
Solar-powered fish drying unit: Kancheepuram: A solar-powered fish-drying
unit, constructed at a cost of Rs.13 lakh and three multipurpose shelters
built at a total cost of Rs.27 lakh by the World Vision India along coast at
Panaiyur Periyakuppam, were dedicated to the villagers on Tuesday. Around
200 kg of fish could be dried using this facility in about four to eight
hours. A diesel fire furnace has been provided along with the solar
photovoltaic module so that the unit could be run during off-season (winter
or rainy days) periods also. The multipurpose shelters were constructed at
three places in the hamlet as a replacement of thatched roofs under which
fishermen used to knit their fishing nets after each catch.
http://www.hindu.com/2006/09/13/stories/2006091319870400.htm


Bio-fertilizer unit for fisherwomen: Kancheepuram: Orchid Trust, a corporate
social responsibility division of pharma major Orchid Chemicals and
Pharmaceuticals Ltd, has set up a unit to produce bio-fertilizers and
biocontrol agents for fisherwomen at Pattipulam, a coastal village in the
district. Christened as 'Development Organisation for Fisherwomen's
Empowerment and Livelihood (DOFWEL)', the unit has been established with a
seed capital of Rs 77 lakh and jointly funded by the Orchid Trust, the Rural
Development Department of the Government of Tamil Nadu and the Asian
Development Bank, according to a communication from the trust.
The unit will produce 50 MT of Trichoderma, 33 MT of Pseudomonas, 33 MT of
Azopirillium and 34 MT of phosphobacteria per annum. The fertilizers
produced in the unit will be marketed through the trust's outlets in the
district. The Department of Botany, University of Madras, will offer
technical support apart from Orchid Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals. Around
100 persons from the tsunami-hit regions in the district, including
economically backward women, are expected to be benefited through the
project. The beneficiaries are yet to be identified and a survey will be
conducted among the six self-help groups.
http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IET20060912143536&Topic=0&Title=Sout\
hern%20News%20-%20Tamil%20Nadu&Page=T

Dharmana distributes fishing nets: Srikakulam: Distributing nets, including
a community net, called `ilavala', among fishermen of Tellavanipeta village
at a meeting held here on Saturday, Minister for Revenue and Relief Dharmana
Prasada Rao said his Government was committed to welfare of fishermen in the
State. The nets and other implements required by the fishermen were provided
by Red Cross. Mr. Prasada Rao pointed out that in all 40,000 houses were
sanctioned to tsunami-hit fishermen. Of them, 9000 were allotted to
fishermen in Srikakulam district. Rajya Lakshmi, State unit secretary of Red
Cross, said there were proposals to provide other facilities like cold
storage, ice boxes and solar driers to fishermen. They should take advantage
of these facilities and improve their standard of life.
http://www.hindu.com/2006/09/17/stories/2006091707300300.htm

Project appraisal committee under of KVIC meets: Kamorta, Sept 13. The 25th
meeting of the Project Appraisal Committee under the Rural Employment
Generation Programme of KVIC was conducted here at Kamorta yesterday.
Altogether 29 tsunami affected tribal youths submitted their applications,
out of which 19 applied for availing financial assistance for setting up
different kinds of units like lathe/ fabrication workshop; flour mill;
autorickshaw; STD booth; tea stall cum snacks bar etc. 10 tribal youths
applied for undergoing training in repairing of mobile / CD/ DVD; repair of
refrigerator & AC; Wood Carving / artistic furniture and for Toys & doll
making under the REGP scheme of KVIC. The Committee interviewed candidates
and recommended 17 cases for finance under the REGP scheme of KVIC and
selected 10 cases for undergoing training at Port Blair.
http://www.and.nic.in/telegrame.htm

Interview for PMRY on September 19: Nagercoil: The Prime Minister's Rozgar
Yojana, a government scheme to provide employment to the educated unemployed
youth for setting up of micro-enterprises in industry, service and business,
is being implemented in Kanyakumari district successfully for the past
several years. Those interested in availing financial assistance under the
scheme have been called to appear for a walk-in-interview on September 19 at
Rotary Community Hall near the Collectorate here at 10 a.m. They must bring
their original certificates and two copies of proof of educational
qualification, date of birth, ration card, passport-size photos and
quotations for the business/trade, said the Collector, Sunil Paliwal, in a
release. Candidates residing in the Agastheeswaram, Thovalai,
Rajakkamangalam panchayat unions and Nagercoil municipal area are to be
screened in the interview to be conducted by the District Industries Centre,
Nagercoil, in association with the Rotary Club of Nagercoil. Free copies of
booklets containing model project reports would be distributed to the
applicants on the occasion.
http://www.hindu.com/2006/09/16/stories/2006091612190300.htm

HOUSING AND INFRASTRUCTURE
Stone laid for construction of 100 permanent shelters at Bambooflat by MAM:
Port Blair, Sept 10 Mata Amritanandamayi Math (MAM) will construct 100
permanent shelters at Bambooflat for the tsunami affected people of the
area. The Secretary of the Math, Shri Muthukumar Swamy informed that the
permanent shelters will be constructed within one year time from now. He
further said that each shelter unit will cost Rs.6.5 lakhs and it will be
constructed as per the CPWD specifications.
http://www.and.nic.in/monday.htm


Lions Club to build houses for tsunami-affected: Lions Club of Ponneri with
assistance from Lions Clubs International Foundation will be constructing
102 houses at Thangal Perumbullam in Ponneri Taluk. The houses proposed to
be constructed for people affected by tsunami in Koraikuppam village, will
be completed by June 30, 2007. The total outlay for the project is Rs2.85
crore with Lions Clubs Interantional Foundation chipping Rs 2.20 crore for
constructing the houses. The land has been allotted to the Lions Club of
Ponneri Rehabilitation Trust for construction of houses.
The Hindu Downtown (Anna Nagar) Sep 17, 2006

India plans port at Great Nicobar: New Delhi, September 5: As part of the
post-tsunami port infrastructure building exercise, the Andaman & Nicobar
administration is exploring the possibility of setting up a trans-shipment
port in Great Nicobar Island, the southernmost landmass in the Indian Ocean.
A government official said a feasibility survey would soon be carried out on
South Bay northeast of Indira Point, India's lowest landmark that submerged
after tsunami tidal waves hit the archipelago in December 2004.
Strategically located in the east-west international sea trade corridor and
with a natural draught of 16 to 18 metres, the island is capable of
receiving the world's largest cargo vessels. Nearly 48 port sites in the
islands were ravaged by tsunami, with losses mounting to Rs 450 crore. In
December last year, the cabinet approved a total grant of Rs 1,606 crore for
repair and upgradation of ports in the next three years. While about Rs
1,000 crore will be given from the Rs 9,870 crore Tsunami Rehabilitation
Programme (TRP) package, the remaining grant will be given in the fifth and
sixth year. The major chunk of the TRP money has been earmarked for building
homes, primary healthcare centres, roads and bridges, coastal protection
measures and providing livelihood means to the locals.
maitreyee.handique@...
http://www.indianexpress.com/story/12084.html


Casuarina planting along coastal belt set to begin: Chengalpattu: An
estimated 18 lakh casuarina saplings are ready to be planted in the coastal
belt of Kancheepuram district. The saplings have been raised by the Social
Forestry Division of the Forest department at Chengalpattu in five of its
nurseries located in four villages on the East Coast Road. The saplings will
be planted on a 26-kilometre stretch from Neelankarai to Vadanemmeli village
on the East Coast Road. M.Mohammed Iqbal Basha, Divisional Forest Officer,
Social Forestry Division, Chengalpattu, said the saplings were raised under
the World Bank-aided scheme called Emergency Tsunami Reconstruction Project.
Under this programme a total of 18 lakh casuarina saplings will be planted
in an area of 450 ha. It is also planned to plant casuarinas on another 50
ha with financial assistance from the Central Government, he said. The
raising of saplings began last year and now they are ready to be planted, he
said. Apart from casuarina saplings the officials had also raised saplings
of a few other plant species.
http://www.hindu.com/2006/09/11/stories/2006091114820400.htm

INDONESIA
A success story from Indonesia: Lhok Seudu - women in business: Nestled in a
small cove along the west coast of Aceh Province, Lhok Sedu was a bustling
port before a 15 meter wave wiped it out along with several homes and
businesses. Fortunately all of the villagers were able to escape to the
hills as the massive wall of water broke through a small range of hills and
pounded the shore. Zuhra was one of the many victims who lost everything.
Now dressed in a beautifully embroidered, turqoise blouse, Zuhra displays
all of the characteristics of a seasoned businesswoman. She is gracious and
charming, yet savvy in matters of money. As head of the vendors'
association, Udep Saree Lhok Seudu, Zuhra is in charge of the revolving
funds originally established from the generous donation of singer/songwriter
Alanis Morissette. In an effort to facilitate community ownership and ensure
the sustainability of the program, CHF worked with the residents of Lhok
Seudu to create a revolving fund, rather than provide individual grants.
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/YAOI-6TK4WR?OpenDocument


Two officials of Aceh relief agency declared suspects in corruption:
Indonesian prosecutors named two staff of the relief agency in Indonesia's
province of Aceh as suspects in a corruption case, the spokesman of the
provincial Attorney General office Muklis said here Thursday. The spokesman
said that the prosecutors would investigate about 13 others possibly linking
with the case.
http://english.people.com.cn/200609/15/eng20060915_302886.html


Artquake - An art auction fundraiser for earthquake relief: WALHI - The
Indonesian Forum for Environment has been working in each of these areas
helping survivors to rebuild their lives. Having spent over a year working
on emergency relief and community empowerment in Aceh and North Sumatra
after the 2004 tsunami, WALHI now have extensive experience and networks in
post-disaster relief work. WALHI take a community-based approach to recovery
work, with a focus on revitalising local community organisations for the
rapid recovery of civil society in affected areas. They are the largest
forum of non-government and community-based organisations in Indonesia and
stand for social transformation, people's sovereignty, and sustainability of
life and livelihoods. Indonesian Solidarity and Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA
proudly present ARTQUAKE - an art exhibition/auction to raise money which
will enable WALHI to continue their much needed work in each of these
disaster-affected areas.
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/KHII-6TL5A9?OpenDocument&rc=3&emid=\
TS-2004-000147-LKA


Supporting education in Aceh: Yuni, 12, is a tsunami survivor and a student
at one of three temporary schools that have been established by Red Cross
Red Crescent in Aceh Jaya. These schools are supporting children's
educational activities, while their permanent schools are being rebuilt.
This programme, implemented by Canadian Red Cross in partnership with the
Indonesian Red Cross (PMI), World Vision and UNICEF, provides learning
spaces for over 120 children and their teachers to gather everyday and
prepare for the future. The temporary schools are located in the villages of
Kareung Ateuh, Keude Unga and Cuenamprong, in the district of Aceh Jaya, and
are currently some of the few educational facilities available in these
areas. The Canadian Red Cross has provided tents, platforms and educational
material to support this programme. The villagers helped to erect the tents
through a "gotong royong" activity - a local custom through which people
give some of their time and work to support a communal activity. The
transitional schools will continue to operate until the permanent structures
are rebuilt and children and teachers can go back to their regular
activities.
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/HMYT-6TNQ5X?OpenDocument

SRI LANKA
Construction of tsunami houses suspended: The Red Cross Red Crescent
Society, one of Sri Lanka's biggest tsunami funding agencies, have
temporarily suspended the construction of tsunami houses in Jaffna,
Trincomalee and Batticaloa. According to the organization the temporary
suspension is the result of the recent fighting in the North and East. "But
we are unable to give an exact date as to when work would recommence,"
information officer to the organization Patrick Fuller said. The
organization however noted that there had been some noticeable exceptions
where owner-driven projects in the North are progressing well.
http://www.asiantribune.com/index.php?q=node/1948

THAILAND
Artificial reefs replace tsunami-damaged coral: More than 100 ''sculptured
artificial reefs'' have been planted on the seabed off the six Andaman
coastal provinces to create new diving sites to replace tsunami-devastated
coral reefs. Designed by famous artists, the artificial reefs, worth around
30 million baht, have been built in various forms, such as five-metre high
African elephants, a 40-metre long pirate ship, and a flock of Gurney  pitta
birds, said Samran Rakchart, deputy chief of the Marine and Coastal
Resources Department. The project is being jointly carried out by the
department and Kasetsart, Prince of Songkhla and Ramkhamhaeng universities.
The department recently completed the planting of the fibreglass objects in
famous marine tourism spots in Ranong, Phangnga, Phuket, Krabi, Trang and
Satun. The artificial reefs will be officially opened to tourists during
high season in December.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/13Sep2006_news12.php


Koh Lanta students enjoy benefits of comfortable new classrooms: World
Vision has built three school buildings in the three villages of Sang Kha
Ou, Baan Khlong Hin and Baan Khlong Jum. More than 300 students on Koh Lanta
island in Krabi province, located south of Thailand, will benefit from the
new buildings. Each building has eight classrooms with an open space in the
ground floor that allows children to do their activities even during bad
weather. World Vision also provided new equipment such as desks, chairs,
tables and blackboards. In Sang Kha Ou village, the new building has totally
replaced an old and dilapidated one that dates back more than 20 years.
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/KHII-6TJ9UH?OpenDocument&rc=3&emid=\
TS-2004-000147-LKA


MALAYSIA
PKR Alleges Kedah Govt Misused Tsunami Fund, Reports to ACA: Sungai
Petani -- Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), accusing the Kedah Government of
misusing the special fund set up for tsunami victims, Saturday lodged a
report with the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA). State PKR chairman Mocktar
Mansor said the party wants the ACA office here to conduct thorough
investigations on the abuse of RM9.84 million from the fund meant for the
purchase and repair of fishing equipment. He said the report was lodged
based on the Auditor-General's findings which was raised in Parliament by
party president Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail recently. Sungai Petani
ACA Assistant Director Mohamad Fauzi Husin, who confirmed receiving the
report, said he would forward the report to the State ACA headquarters in
Alor Star for further action.
http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v3/news.php?id=220126

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/5350666.stm?ls
Stunning finds of fish and coral
By Richard Black
Environment correspondent, BBC News website



Discoveries of hugely diverse fish and coral species in the Indonesian
archipelago have amazed researchers.
The Bird's Head region in Papua may be the most biologically diverse in all
the oceans, say scientists from Conservation International (CI).
Among 50 species believed to be new are bottom-dwelling "walking" sharks and
"flasher" wrasse, which feature colourful male courting displays.
CI is working with the Indonesian government to protect the ecosystem.
"Five years ago we ran our first expedition to Raja Ampat [islands off the
Bird's Head], and this revealed what we felt to be the epicentre of marine
biodiversity on the planet," said Mark Erdmann, a CI scientist on the
project.

Researchers have just returned for a more detailed survey, which revealed 20
corals, 24 fish and eight mantis shrimp believed to be new to science.
Highlights included two apparently new species of epaulette sharks, which
spend most of their time walking across the sea floor, swimming away when
danger looms.
Unspectacular, dull brown male wrasse transform into a spectacular blaze of
yellow, blue and purple to impress females in their harem and persuade them
to mate.
"We were simply blown away by what we found," Dr Erdmann told the BBC News
website.
Turbulent history
Reefs in the "coral triangle" - an area rather un-triangular in shape which
includes tracts of water off the coasts of Indonesia, Malaysia, the
Philippines, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and East Timor - are home
to about 600 species of reef-building coral.

That is more than exist along Australia's Great Barrier Reef which covers an
area 10 times larger.
What makes the region special, it seems, is a combination of its topography
and its history.
It contains a mixture of deep basins and shallower waters. As global sea
levels have risen and fallen over the millennia, the basins would have
become isolated, allowing species to evolve differently in each, before
being returned to the open sea when waters rose.
This pattern has very likely been amplified by the region's active
tectonics, creating regular earthquakes and other upheavals.
Another contributing factor could be the region's isolation from large
centres of human population, making it easier for unique species and
ecosystems to survive.


That has certainly helped in the preservation of land animals in the region,
which has seen several finds of new forest species in recent years.
CI believes that without protection, the unique marine creatures of the
Bird's Head area will not survive intact; human activities, in particular
fishing using explosives and cyanide, will have their inevitable impact.
"The other thing we are afraid of is economic development plans for Papua,
which involve increased fisheries exploitation," said Dr Erdmann.
"There are relatively few people living there, but they are dependent on
their coastline; and we think development plans need to be revisited."
CI and its conservation partners are now working with the Indonesian
government to protect the special areas of the Bird's Head peninsula and
Raja Ampat islands, and to manage development in a sustainable way.
Richard.Black-INTERNET@...

How can the ALHW justify the project despite being
torn apart by the environmental experts? Here again
the tsunami seems to be a convenient excuse. obviously
their homework wasnt done...if im right, south bay is
being targeted for the port- if knowing this and
justifying being torn apart, the experts and ALHW live
in another planet; or the shompen, turtles and the
fellows who think that GNI is poised to become the
'singapore of india' are mistaken and they live in
Manglutan!
Actually itll be a good idea to set another expert
commitee and do the helicopter and island hopping
rounds to do the nitpicking!- a lot of feet will move.
--- Rauf Ali <raufie05@...> wrote:

> An environmental process where the questions
> actually
> last for 2-3 hours! I'm astonished at the
> conscientiousness and zeal for environmental
> protection  displayed by AHLW!
>
> Apart from the fact that an area which is extremely
> rich in plant ant and animal life ( or
> 'biodiversity')
> with almost no people, will be populated, to provide
> jobs for people who don't even live there. I applaud
> the spirit of social service displayed by these
> dedicated bureaucrats.
>
> Rauf
>
> PS I'm pretty sure we don't even need an
> environmental
> assessment for this. Just an economic assessment
> properly done should show how absurd the project is.
> But then, nobody gets kickbacks then, do they?
>
> --- zubair ahmed <zubairpbl@...> wrote:
>
> > *The Light of Andamans ::: Issue 39 ::: 16 Sept
> > 2006*
> > **
> > *Interview:*
> > **
> > *Our Projects are Environment-Friendly: K Shekar*
> > **
> > *In an exclusive interview, K. Shekar, **Chief
> > Engineer and Administrator of
> > ALHW, sketches out their plans of having an
> > international free port in Great
> > Nicobar, to Light of Andamans*
> >
> >
> >
> > *Such a massive project is likely to raise
> > environmental issues… *
> >
> > Each of our projects undergoes environmental
> > scrutiny. First we have to get
> > clearance from local authorities. Then it goes to
> > Delhi. There is a panel of
> > 12 environmental experts. Believe me, they are
> some
> > experts. They tear us
> > apart. We have to make our presentations to
> justify
> > that there would not be
> > any damage to environment. Thereafter there'll be
> > questions to satisfy them
> > on each count. Sometimes the session goes on for
> > two-three hours.
> >
> > *But these are the 'official' environmentalists,
> > what about NGOs? ***
> >
> > They too render a service. It is our job to
> satisfy
> > them too whenever they
> > raise a question.
> >
> > *Great Nicobar has a biodiversity reserve, Olive
> > Ridley Turtle Nesting
> > ground…*
> >
> > Those are at different places. Our project is not
> > going to disturb that.
> >
> > *Katchal is a totally devastated island with a
> very
> > thin population. There
> > is no infrastructure worth the name. Can it
> support
> > an island-mainland
> > shipping harbour? ***
> >
> > Simply because it is devastated beyond
> recognition,
> > we can't just dump it.
> > It has to be nursed back to life. Once the harbour
> > comes, it'll breathe a
> > new life into the island.
> >
> > *Kamorta has a harbour capable of taking in M.V.
> > Nancowry and M.V.
> > Swarajdweep. Does Katchal need a parallel
> > harbour?***
> >
> > Kamorta is a very safe harbour. But the Nancowry
> > gate is not safe for larger
> > vessels entering the harbour. Yes, after the
> tsunami
> > the two vessels did
> > berth at Kamorta. But that was an emergency. It
> > cannot be a regular port.
> > The threat of accidents would always agitate the
> > pilots and the masters.
> >
> > *Then why Katchal? *
> >
> > We have the liberty to start from scratch. It has
> > level ground. In future,
> > we can have slipways to start ship repairing
> > facilities there. It'll further
> > give a boost to Central Nicobar's economy.
> >
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been
> > removed]
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Yahoo! Groups Links
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>
>
>
>
__________________________________________________________
> Yahoo! India Answers: Share what you know. Learn
> something new
> http://in.answers.yahoo.com/
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
>
>


__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
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With all the 'environment friendly 'projects that are
coming to the Andamans there would be need for many
more 'clean up' days. ... Anyhow, kudos to the Coast
Guard and the others involved in this exercise,;not
everybody does it. There have been instances when Ive
wondered if coastal clean up could be involved with
the recycling industry-it already exists localy in the
Andaman and Nicobar islands in an informal way- from
the 'made in kinara'...to....'bhagwan ki gift' ways it
is contextualised. May be someday ambergris will make
everyone want to head to the beach, --and CLEAN UP!

--- Pankaj <pankaj@...> wrote:

> THE DAILY TELEGRAMS
> Sept. 17, 2006
> International Coastal Cleanup Drive - 2006 by ANC
> Port Blair, Sept 16
>    International Coastal Cleanup day was observed
> today by Andaman and
> Nicobar Command as part of the International Coastal
> Cleanup drive programme
> under the aegis of an NGO called Ocean Conservancy.
> The Coastal Cleanup
> movement was started way back in 1986 with the
> cleaning of a single beach at
> Texas and today it has become the largest annual
> event of its own kind. By
> now 118 countries the world over, have joined this
> international movement.
> The command took this drive with an aim to bring in
> awareness among the
> local population about the ill effect of ocean
> dumping, littering and its
> effect on ecosystem and flora and fauna along the
> coast line. The command
> has sailed three of its ships along with men to
> cover the coastal areas of
> Hut Bay, Diglipur & Mayabandar to ensure that all
> the major coastal areas /
> beaches of the A & N islands were covered  under
> this drive.
>    Vice Admiral Arun Kumar Singh,
> Commander-in-Chief, Andaman and Nicobar
> Command inaugurated the Coastal Cleanup-2006 by
> picking up debris and waste
> at Corbin's Cove beach. To inculcate a sense of
> involvement towards
> protection of environment, volunteers from civil
> agencies and school
> children were also invited.
>    The Component Commanders of Army, Navy, Air force
> and Coast Guard, other
> Senior Officers of the Command, Defence civilians
> and service personnel
> along with their families stood in the forefront in
> removing the marine non
> bio-degradable garbage along the coast line. All the
> four Components (Army,
> Navy, Air force and Coast Guard ) were assigned
> specific areas of
> responsibility under this drive so that a large area
> of the Islands could be
> cleared simultaneously.
>    During this drive a total of  2440  Defence
> personnel and their families
> participated. They have cleaned 52  Nautical Mile of
> coastal area and picked
> up 13876 Kgs of debris which includes PET bottles,
> cigarette butts, garbage,
> cloth pieces, beverage cans, fishing nets, etc.  It
> is the effort of the
> Command that the beaches now appear much neater and
> beautiful.
>
>
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
>
>


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This is an interesting compilation by Mr.Raju, while i
agree with him on the way the event has been handled,
i would like to add that this was more a turning point
for the Banana-coconut missions- consider 34 years of
unrelenting bananas and coconuts on M.V.Milale (sad to
know she's rusting somewhere in Junglighat or Phoenix
bay!) being reduced to the Jarawas arriving at
Kadamtala pointing to their stomachs!!

Here also, the poaching issue i feel needs some
clarity. Though it always has been occuring, it
definitly increased ten fold after this event. That
Burmese also hide in the Jarawa reserve is not
anything new- they constantly move from the north to
the south and most end up in Little Andaman- I say
this not to mean that their presence in the reserve is
not damaging, but to say that local poachers have been
doing the same, but quietly- they have never come into
the news as they have nevercome into the picture (they
are not Burmese, and were much quieter in those times
apart for the times when they were attacked and had
reported comrades dead at the local police chowky- See
J. Sarkar, the Jarawa, publ by Seagull books Calcutta
and ASI for a brief list) as they were never
apprehended - moreover their activities continue
nearly year round; whereas the burmese arrive in
droves once the seas are calmer. The news reports are
reflective of patrolling and apprehension of that
time- at that time operation leech (also known by
other variants)of the Navy/CG combine was in force,
and Burmese were being caught with more efficiency. if
locations of apprehension of the Burmese are found
out- they would largely be around North Andaman and
Little Andaman, some occured near North Reef and
further south near Anderson island and Flat Island.
There were few if any from the Jarawa region. The
incident of the 13 men being killed north of constance
bay off Tirur was reported after 4 burmese survivors
walked into Bush Police chowky number 4 after a few
days for aid, and were treated for severe wounds
before being sent to Protheropore Jail. Local poachers
have been going about their business quite quietly and
efficiently- they need to be acounted for in this
context along with the Burmese.

  Any one can vouch for the fact that during that
period 1997-1998 there were no gaunt and miserable
looking Jarawas- I do remember one occassion then when
Pankaj and I were at Kadamtala jetty when 60 (or some
number close by) arrived by dinghy, brought by one of
the contact team members (the owner of the dinghy from
Kadamtala) when he picked them up from Lekera Lungta.
His dungy was full of them- it was a not an event
where they were pointing to their stomachs- they came
and demanded attention and were pleased when it
eventually arrived when the then SP-Mr Ashok Singh
organised coconuts and bananas from Kadamtala and
Santanu- all the shop keepers ran away. They were fit
as they can be and scampered on the jetty creating
quite a frenzy untill the police herded them into the
passenger hall untill-.... you got it,..those coconuts
and bananas arived!! All those theories of hunger
ought to be rewritten. It is unfortunate that things
took such a turn..but milale and the coconuts and
bananas were mere vehicles.

If one can delve a little there have been a few other
ocassions when Jarawas were 'captured alive' and
brought to Port Blair from the British days to the
early  days of the settlement, only it never resulted
in an event such as that during 1997/98- Im sure the
Jarawa have an answer to this- it depends on how the
question is asked i guess.
regards,
Manish.
--- zubair ahmed <zubairpbl@...> wrote:

> *The Light of Andamans ::: Issue 39 ::: 16 Sept.
> 2006.*
>
>
> *The Enmei Revolution – Just a Myth?*
>
>
>
> *While contradicting views from publications afar
> claim a young boy's
> involvement in revolutionising the relationship of
> the Jarawa tribe with the
> settlers, experts within the islands feel otherwise.
> *
>
>
>
> By *Govinda Raju*
>
>
>
> Enmei, a mere adolescent, had opened up the secret
> world of the Jarawas that
> had been a mystery for over 60,000 years.
> Anthropologists, sociologists and
> tribal rights activists went overboard to acclaim
> the event as a
> "turning-point" to understand the hitherto unknown
> world of the Jarawas. The
> event was accorded the status of a revolution: the
> 'Enmei Revolution'
>
>
>
> Enmei became the darling of the media — local,
> national and international.
> Newspapers and news-sites were plastered with his
> views on the civilised
> world. His experiences with water taps and the
> television, and everything
> else that he came across were blown out of
> proportion. His photographs in
> his red-coloured, western, teenage-style clothing
> right down to the reversed
> baseball cap, accompanied the stories. The tribal
> rights activists,
> sociologists and anthropologists vied with each
> other in propounding
> theories on his role to bring the Jarawas out into
> the open and the enormous
> change it would bring into the lives of the tribe.
>
>
>
> The Andaman & Nicobar Administration were quick to
> join in. "Enmei is our
> link with his tribe" an administration official had
> exulted to media persons
> in Delhi early last year.
>
> "They initially communicated in their own language
> but have picked up some
> Hindi words too. This has prompted sociologists to
> rightly dub this change
> as the *Enmei Revolution*" United News of India, a
> news agency, stated. The
> administration, however, had its own agenda to
> perpetuate the myth of the
> Enmei Revolution.
>
>
>
> In his article *Jarawa* *Tribes — Confluence of the
> present with the past *Dr
> Ausaf Sayeed concludes the same. He too credits
> Enmei for having brought
> this change of heart amongst the Jarawas to flock to
> the townspeople and the
> local administration for succour heralding the
> beginning of the Revolution.
>
>
>
> BBC South Asia correspondent Adam Mynott too wallows
> over the single handed
> achievement of Enmei but stops short of calling it a
> revolution.
>
>
>
> Dr Pronob Kumar Sarkar, consultant with the Andaman
> Adim Janjati Vikas
> Samity (AAJVS) for the past six years, has eulogised
> the 'Enmei Revolution'
> but has conveniently shifted the onus to unnamed
> anthropologists.
>
>
>
> Enmei was converted into a cult figure; not by his
> own people but by those
> who subsist on such ancient tribes for their own
> fame and glory. No attempt
> was made by any of the experts to look beyond Enmei
> to find out if or not
> there were other compelling reasons for the members
> of the tribe to come out
> of their seclusion and approach the 'civilised'
> people they hated for
> centuries.
>
>
>
> There are chronological accounts of post-Enmei
> phenomenon in various reports
> including the one in Dr Sarkar's book: *Primitive
> Tribes of Andaman &
> Nicobar islands*. Dr Sarkar's account seems more
> credible since he was
> present on the islands at the time as compared to
> journalists reporting on
> the subject from thousands of miles away on the
> basis of second and
> third-hand information.
>
>
>
> October 21, is acclaimed as the day when a few
> Jarawas (the figure varies
> from report to report) swam across to Kadamtala
> jetty pointing to their
> bellies, asking for food. That was the first time
> they had broken their
> self-imposed isolation and approached the
> 'civilised' society for help. They
> were starving, emaciated and in dire condition. They
> were provided with
> food. The very next day, others followed.
>
>
>
> On October 24, the trickle became a torrent. The
> local police found it hard
> to cope with the over-60 hungry Jarawas. They were
> detained till afternoon
> before being provided with bananas and coconuts.
> Kadamtala is a small
> village and arranging for bananas and coconuts in
> that large quantity was a
> Herculean task.
>
>
>
> However, no report claims that the legendary Enmei
> accompanied the group.
> One can't help but wonder that had he been the prime
> motivator, he should
> have accompanied at least the first group to
> reassure them about the
> benevolence of the 'civilised' society.
>
>
>
> In fact, there was no Enmei revolution as such. It
> was a calculated move by
> the Administration and maybe even some
> anthropologist to play up Enmei as an
> icon to describe the sudden turn of events that
> brought the tribe out of its
> isolation. As the incident caught media attention,
> local activists too fed
> such information to different agencies that
> snowballed and turned it into
> the 'Enmei Revolution'.
>
>
>
> That brings us to the question; why did the Jarawa
> come out asking for food?
> Despite severe pressure on land, there is enough for
> the tribe to survive.
> They are forced to work harder today, but even that
> does not justify their
> begging for food. They are a proud race. Since
> 1997-1998, that kind of
> exodus has not been seen anywhere. They do come in
> contact but do not beg
> for food or point to their stomachs to draw
> sympathy. Then why did it happen
> in 1997-98?
>
>
>
> Poaching in Andaman waters has been going on since
> time immemorial. It was
> confined to fishing with mechanised boats in deep
> sea. But the Myanmarese
> and Thai poachers found that there was a vast
> treasure in coastal waters —
> like the sea cucumber and exotic shells. They
> started coming ashore and
>
=== message truncated ===


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There is an excellent resource on Andaman and Nicobar islanders,
www.andaman.org


  Date: Mon, 18 Sep 2006 05:45:02 -0700 (PDT)
    From: Sharbendu De <sharbendude@...>
Subject: Re: In Doon valley, an island prince on a mission

Well manish, the damage has already been done. A media like newspaper has
significant mass appeal with a shelf life. The damage has been done (if we
can call it damage); from now on any reporter who'll rise to cover a story
on Central Nicobar or the Nicobari tribe, will pull out this report and use
as a referance material.

   Either an online resource hub needs to be created that'll extend credible
facts n figures about the archipelago including list of credible people with
whom the media could talk to, or someone needs to take the pain to sensitize
the handsomly ignorant mainland media about the fine fabrics entwining the
systems of the an island group.

   And let's not forget 'what is a news?
   a dog bites man- no news;
   man bites the dog- news;
   dog bites LG-- greater news;
   LG bites the dog-- damn great news...can't stop laughing!

   best wishes
   Sharbendu

DIRECTOR SOCIAL WELFARE <Director_swpb@...> wrote:
   on this......I would also like to.. .. well .. smile!

manish chandi <manishchandi@...> wrote:   Reporters should get their
facts straight. Was there
ever a kingdom in the Nicobars with a queen, king,
prince, princess and subjects, etc etc. Rashid Bhai i
hope will smile!!
I hope it does not mislead the public about the
history of central nicobar.

--- Pankaj
wrote:

> In Doon valley, an island prince on a mission
> S M A Kazmi
> Indian Express, Sept. 14, 2006
> http://www.indianexpress.com/story/12626.html
>
>
>
> DEHRADUN, SEPT 13: Prince Rasheed Yussuf is on a
> mission. A mission to link
> up his tsunami-ravaged Nicobari tribe with the
> outside world.
> The 2004 tsunami, which changed the lives of the
> original inhabitants of the
> Andaman & Nicobar Islands for ever, also greatly
> affected Prince Rasheed.
> "We were self satisfied communities, but the tsunami
> has forced us to look
> towards the outside world," says Prince Rasheed, son
> of Queen Fatima of the
> Central Nicobar Islands. He also acts as her
> ambassador as the Queen,
> according to tribal customs, cannot leave her
> island.
> A large number of NGOs had shown interest in relief
> and rehabilitation work
> in the islands following the tsunami. "I did not
> know anything about NGOs
> and asked Simronjit Singh, a research scholar from
> Institute of Social
> Ecology in Austria, about the term," the Prince
> recalled. It was this
> innocent question which started a dialogue,
> ultimately bringing him to the
> Doon valley to learn about the voluntary sector.
> The Austrian institute tied up with Sophia, a
> Doon-based voluntary body
> engaged with Van Gujjars, a tribal community, to
> train young tribals from
> the islands in voluntary work. Starting with the
> Prince, a group of
> Nicobarese youths would be coming to Dehradun for
> training over the next six
> months. "We will teach them some basics about legal
> framework and the
> working of voluntary organisations with meager
> budgets," says Parveen
> Kaushal of Sophia.
> The tragedy of late 2004 has given the islanders a
> sense of purpose. "Entire
> coconut plantations, homes and infrastructure have
> been wiped out along with
> over 9,000 people. We have to look to newer ways for
> economic and social
> prosperity," says Rasheed.
> The Tribal Council (TC), the supreme body of tribals
> in Central Nicobar
> islands is headed by Princess Ayesha Majid, the
> elder sister of Prince
> Rasheed. The Princess, who will succeed her mother
> to the throne, had now
> decided to focus on fisheries, animal husbandry and
> education. "Earlier,
> there was no commercial fishing in our seas. We have
> now decided to add
> value to fisheries by preparing pickles with
> technical help from Central
> Food Training and Research Institute in Mysore,"
> says the Prince.
> The Prince is happy that the tribes are focusing on
> quality education after
> the disaster. "I was the first to go to the mainland
> to study, but post
> tsunami more than 20 children from my tribe are
> studying in various schools
> in mainland India," he adds.
> But the Prince is worried about the ill-effects of
> the relief that has been
> pouring in. "The huge sums given as compensation
> have made our hardworking
> people easygoing; vices like drinking and gambling
> has also started," he
> complains. "But now we also have four airlines, with
> much cheaper fares, and
> of course mobile phones," says the Prince flaunting
> his cell phone.
>
> s.m.a.kazmi@...
>
>
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
>
>


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------------------------------------------------------------------------

Well manish, the damage has already been done. A media like newspaper has
significant mass appeal with a shelf life. The damage has been done (if we can
call it damage); from now on any reporter who'll rise to cover a story on
Central Nicobar or the Nicobari tribe, will pull out this report and use as a
referance material.

   Either an online resource hub needs to be created that'll extend credible
facts n figures about the archipelago including list of credible people with
whom the media could talk to, or someone needs to take the pain to sensitize the
handsomly ignorant mainland media about the fine fabrics entwining the systems
of the an island group.

   And let's not forget 'what is a news?
   a dog bites man- no news;
   man bites the dog- news;
   dog bites LG-- greater news;
   LG bites the dog-- damn great news...can't stop laughing!

   best wishes
   Sharbendu

DIRECTOR SOCIAL WELFARE <Director_swpb@...> wrote:
   on this......I would also like to.. .. well .. smile!

manish chandi <manishchandi@...> wrote:   Reporters should get their facts
straight. Was there
ever a kingdom in the Nicobars with a queen, king,
prince, princess and subjects, etc etc. Rashid Bhai i
hope will smile!!
I hope it does not mislead the public about the
history of central nicobar.

--- Pankaj
wrote:

> In Doon valley, an island prince on a mission
> S M A Kazmi
> Indian Express, Sept. 14, 2006
> http://www.indianexpress.com/story/12626.html
>
>
>
> DEHRADUN, SEPT 13: Prince Rasheed Yussuf is on a
> mission. A mission to link
> up his tsunami-ravaged Nicobari tribe with the
> outside world.
> The 2004 tsunami, which changed the lives of the
> original inhabitants of the
> Andaman & Nicobar Islands for ever, also greatly
> affected Prince Rasheed.
> "We were self satisfied communities, but the tsunami
> has forced us to look
> towards the outside world," says Prince Rasheed, son
> of Queen Fatima of the
> Central Nicobar Islands. He also acts as her
> ambassador as the Queen,
> according to tribal customs, cannot leave her
> island.
> A large number of NGOs had shown interest in relief
> and rehabilitation work
> in the islands following the tsunami. "I did not
> know anything about NGOs
> and asked Simronjit Singh, a research scholar from
> Institute of Social
> Ecology in Austria, about the term," the Prince
> recalled. It was this
> innocent question which started a dialogue,
> ultimately bringing him to the
> Doon valley to learn about the voluntary sector.
> The Austrian institute tied up with Sophia, a
> Doon-based voluntary body
> engaged with Van Gujjars, a tribal community, to
> train young tribals from
> the islands in voluntary work. Starting with the
> Prince, a group of
> Nicobarese youths would be coming to Dehradun for
> training over the next six
> months. "We will teach them some basics about legal
> framework and the
> working of voluntary organisations with meager
> budgets," says Parveen
> Kaushal of Sophia.
> The tragedy of late 2004 has given the islanders a
> sense of purpose. "Entire
> coconut plantations, homes and infrastructure have
> been wiped out along with
> over 9,000 people. We have to look to newer ways for
> economic and social
> prosperity," says Rasheed.
> The Tribal Council (TC), the supreme body of tribals
> in Central Nicobar
> islands is headed by Princess Ayesha Majid, the
> elder sister of Prince
> Rasheed. The Princess, who will succeed her mother
> to the throne, had now
> decided to focus on fisheries, animal husbandry and
> education. "Earlier,
> there was no commercial fishing in our seas. We have
> now decided to add
> value to fisheries by preparing pickles with
> technical help from Central
> Food Training and Research Institute in Mysore,"
> says the Prince.
> The Prince is happy that the tribes are focusing on
> quality education after
> the disaster. "I was the first to go to the mainland
> to study, but post
> tsunami more than 20 children from my tribe are
> studying in various schools
> in mainland India," he adds.
> But the Prince is worried about the ill-effects of
> the relief that has been
> pouring in. "The huge sums given as compensation
> have made our hardworking
> people easygoing; vices like drinking and gambling
> has also started," he
> complains. "But now we also have four airlines, with
> much cheaper fares, and
> of course mobile phones," says the Prince flaunting
> his cell phone.
>
> s.m.a.kazmi@...
>
>
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
>
>


__________________________________________________
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NOW

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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

An environmental process where the questions actually
last for 2-3 hours! I'm astonished at the
conscientiousness and zeal for environmental
protection  displayed by AHLW!

Apart from the fact that an area which is extremely
rich in plant ant and animal life ( or 'biodiversity')
with almost no people, will be populated, to provide
jobs for people who don't even live there. I applaud
the spirit of social service displayed by these
dedicated bureaucrats.

Rauf

PS I'm pretty sure we don't even need an environmental
assessment for this. Just an economic assessment
properly done should show how absurd the project is.
But then, nobody gets kickbacks then, do they?

--- zubair ahmed <zubairpbl@...> wrote:

> *The Light of Andamans ::: Issue 39 ::: 16 Sept
> 2006*
> **
> *Interview:*
> **
> *Our Projects are Environment-Friendly: K Shekar*
> **
> *In an exclusive interview, K. Shekar, **Chief
> Engineer and Administrator of
> ALHW, sketches out their plans of having an
> international free port in Great
> Nicobar, to Light of Andamans*
>
>
>
> *Such a massive project is likely to raise
> environmental issues… *
>
> Each of our projects undergoes environmental
> scrutiny. First we have to get
> clearance from local authorities. Then it goes to
> Delhi. There is a panel of
> 12 environmental experts. Believe me, they are some
> experts. They tear us
> apart. We have to make our presentations to justify
> that there would not be
> any damage to environment. Thereafter there'll be
> questions to satisfy them
> on each count. Sometimes the session goes on for
> two-three hours.
>
> *But these are the 'official' environmentalists,
> what about NGOs? ***
>
> They too render a service. It is our job to satisfy
> them too whenever they
> raise a question.
>
> *Great Nicobar has a biodiversity reserve, Olive
> Ridley Turtle Nesting
> ground…*
>
> Those are at different places. Our project is not
> going to disturb that.
>
> *Katchal is a totally devastated island with a very
> thin population. There
> is no infrastructure worth the name. Can it support
> an island-mainland
> shipping harbour? ***
>
> Simply because it is devastated beyond recognition,
> we can't just dump it.
> It has to be nursed back to life. Once the harbour
> comes, it'll breathe a
> new life into the island.
>
> *Kamorta has a harbour capable of taking in M.V.
> Nancowry and M.V.
> Swarajdweep. Does Katchal need a parallel
> harbour?***
>
> Kamorta is a very safe harbour. But the Nancowry
> gate is not safe for larger
> vessels entering the harbour. Yes, after the tsunami
> the two vessels did
> berth at Kamorta. But that was an emergency. It
> cannot be a regular port.
> The threat of accidents would always agitate the
> pilots and the masters.
>
> *Then why Katchal? *
>
> We have the liberty to start from scratch. It has
> level ground. In future,
> we can have slipways to start ship repairing
> facilities there. It'll further
> give a boost to Central Nicobar's economy.
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been
> removed]
>
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
>




__________________________________________________________
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http://in.answers.yahoo.com/

Islands in Andaman region of India being readied for tourism
Sep 07, 06 | 3:32 pm



By Satish Gupta l eTN Asia
India is to open 15 islands in the remote Andaman archipelago, developing a
total of 50 new sites in the northern cluster of islands, 1,200 kilometres off
mainland India. "These sites have been selected so that
environmentally-sensitive hotels and beach resorts can be set up under our
tourism plan," Andaman's Tourism chief Dharam Pal told media. As per the
information available, only 36 of the more than 500 islands in the archipelago,
closer to Indonesia than India, are inhabited. Others have sensitive Indian
naval and air force bases. Almost 52,000 arrivals were recorded between January
and July this year in the Indian Ocean island chain.



Pal said the new sites will be leased through auctions to private investors. "In
the first phase, tenders will be invited for four or five islands and depending
on the response the other islands will be opened to domestic and overseas
bidders," Pal told AFP. "The idea is to develop an infrastructure which will
attract eco-tourists and Bollywood filmmakers."

Earlier this year, tourism in Andaman and Nicobar islands received a major
fillip with the island state getting nod for hiring private planes and pilots to
improve connectivity between its tourist destinations.

The plan for leasing out islands also got a fillip with Union Tourism Ministry
concluding its inter-ministerial consultation involving other ministries
including Environment, Forest and Defense. The concerned ministries have been
working on the modalities of leasing out islands keeping in mind the ecological
and strategic significance of the islands.

Negi had reportedly said 10 uninhabited islands would be opened for "high-end"
tourists willing to pay premium rates. Most of the islands are closed to
tourists, including Indians, mainly to protect their unique flora and fauna or
tribes.

http://travelvideo.tv/news/more.php?id=9592_0_1_0_M

----- Original Message -----
From: Madhusree Mukerjee
To: andamanicobar@...
Sent: Friday, September 15, 2006 2:17 PM
Subject: [andamanicobar] island opening


Many months ago I posted exactly this question, and a few others, on this
site. No responses. This information is being kept completely secret. The
tour operators know for sure, and they are not talking. We can assume that
the island leasing is a fait accompli. There will be extensive tourism
development, and no one on the islands or anywhere else, other than the
resort operators themselves, will have any say.  Period.
Madhusree

>From: krishna kumar <vu2vku@...>
> Does anyone have any information on the opening bids
> for the land lease in these islands and the term
> of the lease in years?
>
> -Krishna
>




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

I think the Chief Engineer and Administrator of ANHW may not be aware
that the proposed International Shipping Project will not only destroy
the largest leatherback turtle nesting ground at Galathea Bay and it
also gradually will ruin the entire biodiversity of the Great Nicobar
starting from coral reefs to megapode. Firstly, this kind of projects
should not be proposed in these islands as this kinds are not viable in
smaller islands that too the islands with a lot of wonderful endemic
species which have already been adversely affected by tsunami recently.

I am also thinking that the CE may not be aware about the secondary
impact of this project which is going to destroy the majority of the
terrestrial part of the island in the name of infrastructure development
to accommodate more people etc.

I hope the experts from Delhi never encourage such kind of dangerous
projects.

With regards,
Siva



zubair ahmed wrote:

>*The Light of Andamans ::: Issue 39 ::: 16 Sept 2006*
>**
>*Interview:*
>**
>*Our Projects are Environment-Friendly: K Shekar*
>**
>*In an exclusive interview, K. Shekar, **Chief Engineer and Administrator of
>ALHW, sketches out their plans of having an international free port in Great
>Nicobar, to Light of Andamans*
>
>
>
>*Such a massive project is likely to raise environmental issues… *
>
>Each of our projects undergoes environmental scrutiny. First we have to get
>clearance from local authorities. Then it goes to Delhi. There is a panel of
>12 environmental experts. Believe me, they are some experts. They tear us
>apart. We have to make our presentations to justify that there would not be
>any damage to environment. Thereafter there'll be questions to satisfy them
>on each count. Sometimes the session goes on for two-three hours.
>
>*But these are the 'official' environmentalists, what about NGOs? ***
>
>They too render a service. It is our job to satisfy them too whenever they
>raise a question.
>
>*Great Nicobar has a biodiversity reserve, Olive Ridley Turtle Nesting
>ground…*
>
>Those are at different places. Our project is not going to disturb that.
>
>*Katchal is a totally devastated island with a very thin population. There
>is no infrastructure worth the name. Can it support an island-mainland
>shipping harbour? ***
>
>Simply because it is devastated beyond recognition, we can't just dump it.
>It has to be nursed back to life. Once the harbour comes, it'll breathe a
>new life into the island.
>
>*Kamorta has a harbour capable of taking in M.V. Nancowry and M.V.
>Swarajdweep. Does Katchal need a parallel harbour?***
>
>Kamorta is a very safe harbour. But the Nancowry gate is not safe for larger
>vessels entering the harbour. Yes, after the tsunami the two vessels did
>berth at Kamorta. But that was an emergency. It cannot be a regular port.
>The threat of accidents would always agitate the pilots and the masters.
>
>*Then why Katchal? *
>
>We have the liberty to start from scratch. It has level ground. In future,
>we can have slipways to start ship repairing facilities there. It'll further
>give a boost to Central Nicobar's economy.
>
>
>[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
>
>Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>

--
K Sivakumar,
Wildlife Institute of India
Department of Endangered Species Management,
P.O. Box. 18,
Chandrabani,
Dehradun - 248 001
India.
Tel:+91-135-2640112, Extn:217
Fax: +91-135-2640117
Web: www.wii.gov.in

THE DAILY TELEGRAMS
Sept. 17, 2006
International Coastal Cleanup Drive - 2006 by ANC
Port Blair, Sept 16
    International Coastal Cleanup day was observed today by Andaman and
Nicobar Command as part of the International Coastal Cleanup drive programme
under the aegis of an NGO called Ocean Conservancy. The Coastal Cleanup
movement was started way back in 1986 with the cleaning of a single beach at
Texas and today it has become the largest annual event of its own kind. By
now 118 countries the world over, have joined this international movement.
The command took this drive with an aim to bring in awareness among the
local population about the ill effect of ocean dumping, littering and its
effect on ecosystem and flora and fauna along the coast line. The command
has sailed three of its ships along with men to cover the coastal areas of
Hut Bay, Diglipur & Mayabandar to ensure that all the major coastal areas /
beaches of the A & N islands were covered  under this drive.
    Vice Admiral Arun Kumar Singh, Commander-in-Chief, Andaman and Nicobar
Command inaugurated the Coastal Cleanup-2006 by picking up debris and waste
at Corbin's Cove beach. To inculcate a sense of involvement towards
protection of environment, volunteers from civil agencies and school
children were also invited.
    The Component Commanders of Army, Navy, Air force and Coast Guard, other
Senior Officers of the Command, Defence civilians and service personnel
along with their families stood in the forefront in removing the marine non
bio-degradable garbage along the coast line. All the four Components (Army,
Navy, Air force and Coast Guard ) were assigned specific areas of
responsibility under this drive so that a large area of the Islands could be
cleared simultaneously.
    During this drive a total of  2440  Defence personnel and their families
participated. They have cleaned 52  Nautical Mile of coastal area and picked
up 13876 Kgs of debris which includes PET bottles, cigarette butts, garbage,
cloth pieces, beverage cans, fishing nets, etc.  It is the effort of the
Command that the beaches now appear much neater and beautiful.

*The Light of Andamans ::: Issue 39 ::: 16 Sept 2006*
*Prof. Sahai to study *
*condition **of Andaman tribes*

*Another "Expert Group" is on its way to study the ways and means to
inculcate sustainable means of living amongst the uncompromising tribes, as
assumed by Prof. Sahai and his group. The tribes, particularly, the Jarawas
are not through with the new prescription of the Planning Commission's
Subgroup of Experts.*
Head of Allahabad University's Department of Anthropology Prof VS Sahai will
visit Andaman and Nicobar Island in October to observe the condition of the
tribes in the islands.
Prof Sahai has been made a member of the Scientific Expert Committee formed
by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest to investigate the status of
forest and allied affairs in the islands.

Andaman and Nicobar islands are home to some of the fast-vanishing
aboriginal tribes of the world. Few of the tribes are isolated and remain
untouched with the outside world while most of them have accepted the social
changes occurring in the rest of the world. Four Negrito and two
Indo-Mongoloid races of tribes exist in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The
Great Andamanese, Onge, Jarawa and the Sentinelese belong to the Negrito
race while the Indo-Mongoloid group tribes include the Nicobarese and the
Shompen.

"The survival of these tribes is the main issue as their population has
reduced to an alarming extent. The government and several welfare
organisations are continuously attempting to inculcate the sustainable means
of living but the uncompromising attitude of few of the tribes have brought
them on the verge of extinction," informed Prof Sahai.

"The government has built homes, roads, jetties and several instruments of
civilisation in the islands.
The confrontation of these primitive tribes to the new world has also
desecrated the traditions of these tribes. The Jarawa tribe which is one of
the most primitive tribe has been affected by the Great Andaman Road passing
through their places of habitation. The Jarawa tribe peoples were reported
to have adopted the habit of begging and stealing instead of their inherent
character of hunting for survival", he added.
According to Prof Sahai a commission was formed by Ministry of Environment
and Forest to check the status of forest and other allied matters in Andaman
and Nicobar Islands. The commission was headed by Shekhar Singh who filed
his report recently.
The Ministry of Environment and Forest has formed a Scientific Expert
Committee to check the feasibility of Shekhar Commission report. The
five-member committee includes Emeritus Prof CR Babu from School of
Environmental Studies, University of Delhi, PC Kesavan from Department of
Atomic Energy, former Chief Conservator of Forests, Government of Tamil Nadu
S Kondas  and KV Raju from Institute of Social and Economic Change,
Bangalore besides Prof Sahai. The committee will stay here for about ten
days.


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*The Light of Andamans ::: Issue 39 ::: 16 Sept 2006*

* *

*Trans-shipment Port coming up in Great Nicobar*



*Oscillating between hope and despair during most of the 80s, the idea of
developing Great Nicobar as an international free port was dropped in a
huff. A quarter of a century later that dream is coming true, albeit scaled
down***



*By Staff Reporter*



Port Blair: Massive investments are underway to repair, rebuild and upgrade
existing ports, harbours and jetties across the Nicobar district. With not a
single jetty or wharf left untouched by the devastating earthquake and
tsunami in 2004, the loss was to the tune of Rs 450 crore — a conservative
estimate.



The population of the Nicobar district is scattered in small islands where
the only means of commuting is by sea. Its people are already highly
agitated over the lack of an honest effort from the Administration to
provide them a reliable shipping service. Damaged jetties and harbours only
add to the woes of the people and the administration alike.



Adversities bring opportunities as well. The Government of India and the
Andaman & Lakshadweep Harbour Works (ALHW) have grabbed the opportunity to
go ahead with a project that was discussed in every forum for over 25 years.




Unveiling their schemes to *Light of Andamans* on September 12, 2006, Mr. K.
Shekar, Chief Engineer and Administrator of ALHW disclosed a proposal to
construct a jetty at Safed Balu in Teressa Island for inter-island ferry at
an estimated cost of Rs 40 crores.

Another proposal was to construct a deep-water harbour at Katchal Island for
island-mainland vessels, estimated to cost Rs 110 crore. The third proposal
was to construct an all-weather harbour at Mus in Car Nicobar by extending
the break water.



The fourth and most ambitious project yet is to set up a trans-shipment port
in Great Nicobar Island, the southernmost landmass in the Indian Ocean. It
is likely to come up at South Bay, an arc where Galathea River discharges
into the Galathea Bay. The area is flanked by the Pulobha landmass jutting
into the Indian Ocean on the west and another landmass jutting into the left
flank where Shastri Nagar is situated. It gets a little protection from the
vagaries of hostile and turbulent waves during rough weather.



Mr. Shekar explained that the Trans-shipment project was still in its early
stages. The ALHW has received the Expression of Intent and 10 firms have
been short listed. Once it is finalised, the selected firm will conduct a
techno-economic feasibility study, which is estimated to take one year. Only
after that a detailed project report (DPR) can be prepared. Mr. Shekar
refused to comment on the total cost of project.


The Teressa and Katchal Projects seem to be the real fast moving projects.
The DPR for both projects will be ready by October. An Environmental Impact
Study (EIS) will then be conducted and the work awarded. The EIS has been
done by the department, he said. And the time of completion for both is
estimated to be one and a half years.


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