Construction of permanent shelters begins in Andamans

Port Blair, July 16 (UNI) Construction of permanent shelters for the tsunami affected people of Andaman and Nicobar Islands has paced up with the signing of an MoU with five NGOs, Officer in-charge of Andaman's Information and Publicity Division V K Mishra said here today.

Caritas India working with Catholic Relief Services has signed an MoU for construction of 480 permanent shelters at South Andaman and Little Andaman.

Mata Amritanandmayi Math has signed the MoU for construction of 100 shelters at Bambooflat area of South Andaman.

Though Care India has pledged to build 954 shelters in South Andaman and Little Andaman, they have signed the MoU only for construction of 286 shelters in South Andaman.

Church's Auxiliary for Social Action (CASA) have signed the MoU for constructing 572 shelters for the tsunami hit Island at Car Nicobar, whereas another NGO, Hindustani Covenant Church has signed the MoU for 152 shelters in South Andamans, Mishra added.

These efforts would be supplementing the efforts of the Andaman Public Works Department who would be constructing 139 shelters in South Andaman and the Central Public Works Department, who has been entrusted with the responsibility to construct 7317 shelters at Little Andaman and the far flung Islands of Teresa, Katchal, Kamorta, Nancowry, Bambooka, Great Nicobar, Little Nicobar, besides Car Nicobar, he added.

Both agencies have started the work despite difficult terrain and weather conditions. In all the Andaman and Nicobar Administration plans to construct 9714 permanent shelters for the victims of the December 26 tsunami in 2004.

The permanent shelters would be stilted and non-stilted constructions. Keeping with the traditions and requirements of the Nicobari population, all construction in Car Nicobar will be on stilts with steel frames and timber walling, Mishra said.

The non-tribal areas will witness non stilted constructions. The shelter sites would also be having metalled roads in the complex and other facilities.

Ancillary buildings such as schools, sub-centres, anganwadis, community halls, play ground etc are also part of the project.

The December 26, 2004, tsunami rendered 9000 families homeless across the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The killer waves unleashed a series of destruction in the Nicobar Group of Islands killing more than 3800 people great loss government and private property.

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