Swelling sea damages 'breakwater' of Car Nicobar Island

Port Blair, Jun 22 (UNI) The swelling sea and high coastal waves have seriously damaged the 'breakwater' of Car Nicobar Islands, making it impossible for passenger or cargo ships to port at the remote islands.

The 'breakwater' is a barrier constructed to protect the main harbour from mighty sea waves and to help porting of ships. The breakwater is made up of specially designed triangular concrete blocks.

Deputy Commissioner of Car Nicobar Kailash Chand told newspersons here today, ''Due to bad weather and choppy sea, many concrete blocks have been dislocated at the Mus Jetty of Car Nicobar islands, making it unsafe to port ships.'' Mr Kailash Chand said high waves since June 19 caused this damage and repairing could start only when the weather turned favourable.

The Car Nicobar Islands, situated at the northern tip of Nicobar Group of Islands, one of the worst hit in the 2004 tsunami, is a tribal reserve area, dominated mostly by Nicobari tribes.

Meanwhile, official sources said the damage of the breakwater meant the remote islands would remain cut off from the rest of the world for at least one month, as no vessel could port at the Car Nicobar Jetty.

''We are looking for alternative arrangements,'' the deputy commissioner added.

UNI