Islanders learn survival tips in mock tsunami drills

Port Blair, Aug 6 (UNI) Thousands of tribal people are picking up survival tips in a series of mock tsunami drills being organized in Nancowry Groups of Islands, which was worst hit by the December 2004 tsunami.

Representatives of governments, NGOs and tribal villagers are participating in these drills being conducted by experts of Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan's (NYKS) Andaman and Nicobar Branch.

''We want that all islanders should learn essential survival tricks to face any kind of disasters including tsunami. Andaman and Nicobar Islands fall under Zone V of seismic chart and all should be prepared to face any kind of disaster,'' Regional Coordinator of NYKS in Andaman and Nicobar Islands Sukhranjan Biswas told UNI today.

Mr Biswas said the project of conducting disaster preparedness and mock drills is funded by 'Save the Children', an NGO, working for child rights. The NYKS is organizing such programmes in 25 villages of Nancowrie group of islands. The programme is being carried out by the task force members of each village.

''Before ending the project we would be conducting two more mock drills in Kamorta islands very soon,'' Mr Biswas said.

''We are glad that NYSK is organizing such useful drills for the knowledge of villagers of far flung islands. We want that more such kind of drills should be organized in all remote villages,'' Chairman of Tribal Council of Nancowry Ayashan Masjid said.

Mr Majid is building up a team of tribal boys who have already learned survival tricks, so that they can go to other interior villages of Nicobar and impart the knowledge of survival during any kind of disaster.

Towering waves of tsunami in December 2004 had killed nearly 3800 people in Andaman and Nicobar islands.

UNI