Tsunami permanent shelter distribution from Sep in Andaman

Port Blair, June 30 (UNI) The Andaman and Nicobar Administration will start distributing permanent shelters to tsunami-hit homeless Islanders of the archipelago from September this year, Lt Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands Lt General (Retd) Bhopinder Singh said here today.

Addressing a press conference, Lt Gen Singh said permanent shelter construction work was going on a war-footing.

'' By September, we will hand over permanent shelters to many tsunami homeless people, while in other tsunami-hit places permanent shelter distribution will be delayed, ''said Singh.

He said mostly in Southern group of tsunami-ravaged islands there would be delay mainly because of inaccessibility.

In places like Great Nicobar, road could not be constructed due to geographical disadvantage.

'' Once the road is ready, we can start the construction work of permanent shelters in those remote islands, '' he added.

The Lt Governor said due to absence of a harbour in most of the remote islands like Chowra, Little Andaman and Great Nicobar, shipping logistic to these islands was a big challenge for everybody.

'' Even though I believe by December, 2008, we will be able to hand over all the 9797 permanent shelters to deserving tsunami homeless families, '' the LG said.

Andaman and Nicobar islands were ravaged by giant tsunami waves in December, 2004 but even after three years the administration could not construct permanent shelters for the tsunami displaced families.

Earlier, December, 2007, was the dateline for completing all permanent shelter construction work, fixed by the Andaman and Nicobar administration but surprisingly the dateline was shifted from December, 2007, to December, 2008.

'' Because of long monsoon we have very limited working season and geographical difficulties are also major impediments, '' said Lt Gen Singh.

'' I have visited all these islands personally. So I know how difficult it is to transport building construction materials from Port Blair to those islands, '' he added.

UNI