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- Mrs. Gagan Ghuman Secretary,DWWA
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There is a great deal left unsaid and undone in the city of Port Blair to make it worthy of being called the capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. This city, which is at the heart of what all visitors term ‘Paradise’, is far from that term. Squalor and filth are to be encountered at every bend in the road while no one seems to mind or even notice. And yet, the magnitude of neglect is becoming hard to ignore.
All along the roads, in every vacant lot, in the waterways and even in the undergrowth one can see all manner of garbage, piling up, spilling over and fouling the city in its unsightly decay. The filth that surrounds every patch of habitation in the Andamans has even leached into the rainforests and the precious coral reefs. Still there remains a certain, inexplicable, apathy towards it, as if the filth were non existent or perhaps someone else’s problem.
The pristine untouched beauty, fabled to the Andamans, is getting harder and harder to find - everywhere one seems to go the litter follows. It exists in the sea, washed onto isolated islands, tangled in the coral; it exists in the forest, among the trees, in the mangroves, along the ATR.
In the city of Port Blair itself, garbage is to be found everywhere, the most easily found substance on an island where commercialisation is yet to hit!
There seems to have been a well-intentioned ban on plastic bags announced by the local administration in the area, but this ban has neither been honoured, nor regulated or enforced. Grocery shops, vegetable vendors and all other commercial outlets continue to provide plastic carry-bags and consumers continue to demand it.
This is not a letter attempting to point fingers; we are all to blame for this mess. We each need to be conscious of our actions as a community; we cannot blame the administration for not cleaning up our mess. Though the municipal certainly needs to pull up its socks and make a concerted effort in waste management, it is also up to us citizens to keep our surroundings clean. For the sake of pride, if for nothing else!
As residents of Port Blair we need to ensure that we keep our city spotless, we need to be conscious of our actions. It is a matter of great pride when we hear that the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are called ‘Mini India’, but what a shame when that term is not meant as a compliment, but to describe how the filth, so familiar in the cities of the mainland, has achieved magnified proportions in this little island city.
To the public, both visiting and resident, we send out this plea - care for the environment, do not spit in public places, please dispose of things properly in garbage disposal bins, do not throw your rubbish onto the road or in a creek or in the sea! If there is a ban on plastic bags in the Andamans, it has been done so for a reason, honour that ban. Refuse plastic bags, carry cloth bags on your person instead, it is a habit which will take a little while to get used to, but will be, in the long term, beneficial to all. To hoteliers and tour-guides, we urge that you inform tourists about the need for proper waste disposal, do not tolerate littering in any fashion, it will transform the face of our island!
We urge the local administration as well as the citizens of Andaman and Nicobar Islands to take concrete steps to beautify Port Blair and other areas of habitation. This does not just include areas like VIP Road and the Marine Drive, but every area - the battered tin roofs that scar the skyline, the rotting, unpainted homes, the tangled mess of wires and cables, the unplanned construction, the overflowing garbage dumps- our towns in the Andamans are soon beginning to look like the slums in Mainland India!
We all need to move around with our eyes open and make changes to our community, tangible changes, changes that can improve the future of these islands and help us stand proud that we are not only an example to Mainland India, in our ability to stand together in communal harmony, but also an example to our country that we can live in harmony with our environment!
We hope that we can all stand together as a community and make a positive difference.
Mrs. Gagan Ghuman
Secretary,
Defence Wives Welfare Association
All along the roads, in every vacant lot, in the waterways and even in the undergrowth one can see all manner of garbage, piling up, spilling over and fouling the city in its unsightly decay. The filth that surrounds every patch of habitation in the Andamans has even leached into the rainforests and the precious coral reefs. Still there remains a certain, inexplicable, apathy towards it, as if the filth were non existent or perhaps someone else’s problem.
The pristine untouched beauty, fabled to the Andamans, is getting harder and harder to find - everywhere one seems to go the litter follows. It exists in the sea, washed onto isolated islands, tangled in the coral; it exists in the forest, among the trees, in the mangroves, along the ATR.
In the city of Port Blair itself, garbage is to be found everywhere, the most easily found substance on an island where commercialisation is yet to hit!
There seems to have been a well-intentioned ban on plastic bags announced by the local administration in the area, but this ban has neither been honoured, nor regulated or enforced. Grocery shops, vegetable vendors and all other commercial outlets continue to provide plastic carry-bags and consumers continue to demand it.
This is not a letter attempting to point fingers; we are all to blame for this mess. We each need to be conscious of our actions as a community; we cannot blame the administration for not cleaning up our mess. Though the municipal certainly needs to pull up its socks and make a concerted effort in waste management, it is also up to us citizens to keep our surroundings clean. For the sake of pride, if for nothing else!
As residents of Port Blair we need to ensure that we keep our city spotless, we need to be conscious of our actions. It is a matter of great pride when we hear that the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are called ‘Mini India’, but what a shame when that term is not meant as a compliment, but to describe how the filth, so familiar in the cities of the mainland, has achieved magnified proportions in this little island city.
To the public, both visiting and resident, we send out this plea - care for the environment, do not spit in public places, please dispose of things properly in garbage disposal bins, do not throw your rubbish onto the road or in a creek or in the sea! If there is a ban on plastic bags in the Andamans, it has been done so for a reason, honour that ban. Refuse plastic bags, carry cloth bags on your person instead, it is a habit which will take a little while to get used to, but will be, in the long term, beneficial to all. To hoteliers and tour-guides, we urge that you inform tourists about the need for proper waste disposal, do not tolerate littering in any fashion, it will transform the face of our island!
We urge the local administration as well as the citizens of Andaman and Nicobar Islands to take concrete steps to beautify Port Blair and other areas of habitation. This does not just include areas like VIP Road and the Marine Drive, but every area - the battered tin roofs that scar the skyline, the rotting, unpainted homes, the tangled mess of wires and cables, the unplanned construction, the overflowing garbage dumps- our towns in the Andamans are soon beginning to look like the slums in Mainland India!
We all need to move around with our eyes open and make changes to our community, tangible changes, changes that can improve the future of these islands and help us stand proud that we are not only an example to Mainland India, in our ability to stand together in communal harmony, but also an example to our country that we can live in harmony with our environment!
We hope that we can all stand together as a community and make a positive difference.
Mrs. Gagan Ghuman
Secretary,
Defence Wives Welfare Association
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- Sai
- Hits: 1293
It is for the first time in the history of these Islands, ‘RDS APL 20-20’ Cricket tournament was held between 10 teams at Netaji Stadium. Many of the matches were day and night match, which was witnessed by a large gathering. The final match was won by Aberdeen Heroes defeating Sapan and Megha Royals by 6 wickets. Many sponsors like RDS Project, AXIS Bank, SBI, Syndicate Bank, Fairmacs Trading Company, Royal Challenge Chennai, RSC&CO, Agency House etc sponsored various prizes. The Man of the Match was given a Hero Honda Motor Cycle by RSN and Agency House. Afzal Decorators and Techmech Electronics sponsored the Best Batsman prize to Sobojit Paul.Shri.Ravi was given Up and Down air ticket by Afzal Decorators and Kingfisher Airlines. A prize for best promising under-19 player was given by State Bank of India.
This is a positive trend and the interest shown by various business groups will definitely be a morale booster for the sports persons of these Islands.
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- Shibu Varghese
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The previous article regarding Bangladeshi nationals landing in our shore; out of 400 odd of them we could only manage to get handful of them. I would still like to ask, where did the rest of them go? If they are no more, where are their bodies? These people are going to be threat to the islands.
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- Defence Wives Welfare Association
- Hits: 1406
It was with a great sense of concern that Defence Wives Welfare Association forwarded a letter last week, seeking a greater awareness and sensitivity towards cleanliness of public areas and care for the environment amongst everyone.
We are a fortunate few who live here today in Port Blair; the Andaman Islands are truly a jewel in India’s beautiful crown. So much diversity exists in these islands- rainforests, coral reefs, pure white beaches and India’s only volcano as well as several species of birds and plants found nowhere else in the world. It is not just biological and geographic diversity that does us proud, but also cultural diversity, the Andaman Islands are the melting-pot of India where people from different cultures and beliefs and even different races coexist in perfect harmony.
These beautiful islands are getting ruined by filth and squalor! We cannot pass this unique gift on to our children sullied and soiled; we cannot devalue this asset. It is our duty to care for these islands just as it is our privilege to live here.
It is unfortunate that most of us tend to take such beauty for granted, we assume that something so perfect will, somehow, remain always so. But that is never the case, it takes great care to maintain a balance in nature, it takes great sensitivity to preserve the environment. This feeling of care and sensitivity is not lacking in us as individuals, cultural harmony and peace in these islands stand testimony to that! What is lacking is the will to act!
Many of us do not know where to start, how to make a change, what steps to take. We assume that we are alone in caring or worrying about the environment, we believe that we, as individuals cannot make a difference, and so we fail to act.
Many of us do not know where to start, how to make a change, what steps to take. We assume that we are alone in caring or worrying about the environment, we believe that we, as individuals cannot make a difference, and so we fail to act.
The truth is that we can make a difference; each and every single one of us can impact the environment that surrounds us, for better or for worse. We are all single drops that make up an ocean- which can either be muddied waters or clear blue seas, depending on what we, as single drops, carry with us.
There are several changes that we, as individuals, can make in our lives. Changes that will, in the end, improve the way we actually live our lives today while guaranteeing a better environment for future generations.
One of the biggest changes we can make is just saying ‘no’ to plastic carry bags. It will make an immediate positive impact on the environment the moment we clear up the remains of plastic that litter these islands, while refusing to accept any more plastic carry bags in the future.
We all know that plastic is bad for the environment, it does not degrade back into the soil as natural products do, it produces some of the deadliest toxins known to man if burned or exposed to the elements, it smothers plants, chokes fish and other marine life and most noticeable of all, it lies windblown everywhere, frayed and ugly, an eyesore in such beautiful surroundings!
It is not hard to refuse plastic, many parts of mainland India have successfully banned plastic carry bags- even top tourist destinations like Ooty, in Tamil Nadu, have a strict ban on plastic carry bags and the people there respect that.
If they can do it so can we!
As individuals, here are just five changes that we can make to our day-to-day habits, if we all follow these basic guidelines then yes, we can individually count and make a difference. Let us resolve to make a change. Let us resolve to move ahead into a beautiful, litter-free, clean future for these stunning islands.
1. Let us resolve to no longer supply or demand plastic carry bags, let us use paper bags or cloth bags or even plain newspaper to wrap things in.
2. Let us resolve that we will dispose of our rubbish in garbage bins. Every piece of paper thrown on the street, every toffee wrapper carelessly thrown from a car, every scrap thrown into a gutter is increasing the burden of garbage in our surroundings.
3. Let us resolve that we will not spit or urinate in public places. It is a filthy habit that not only spreads disease but is also embarrassing to our own selves.
4. Let us resolve to leave an area cleaner than when we arrived. If you go to the beach, dispose of plastics in garbage cans, or bring your trash home. If you see plastics on the beach, pick it up and dispose of it properly.
5. Let us resolve to stand together as a community and no longer tolerate filth and littering in our surroundings.
6. Let us resolve to educate our children with these habits.
2. Let us resolve that we will dispose of our rubbish in garbage bins. Every piece of paper thrown on the street, every toffee wrapper carelessly thrown from a car, every scrap thrown into a gutter is increasing the burden of garbage in our surroundings.
3. Let us resolve that we will not spit or urinate in public places. It is a filthy habit that not only spreads disease but is also embarrassing to our own selves.
4. Let us resolve to leave an area cleaner than when we arrived. If you go to the beach, dispose of plastics in garbage cans, or bring your trash home. If you see plastics on the beach, pick it up and dispose of it properly.
5. Let us resolve to stand together as a community and no longer tolerate filth and littering in our surroundings.
6. Let us resolve to educate our children with these habits.
Starting with our first resolution, let us at once stop using plastic carry-bags. Yes, it may be a habit that is a little difficult to get used to in the beginning, but it is a habit that will save generations ahead of us the scourge of plastic litter. Once in the environment, it takes months to hundreds of years for plastic bags to breakdown. As they decompose, their toxins seep into the soil, lakes, rivers, and the oceans. The next time you go shopping and carry home things in a plastic carry-bag, think: you are contributing your share to a deadly pollution whose ill-effects are irreversible and capable of reaching out to numerous generations to come.
Here are some of the common reasons we accept plastics, and along with these reasons, we have presented some facts, suggestions and alternatives-
1. When vegetable shopping we tend to ask for separate plastic carry-bags for each vegetable, to make it easier to separate the vegetables at home. The alternative is to ask the vendor to wrap the vegetables separately in newspaper or just carry with you the reusable net-bags that you normally store your vegetables in. (toxins from plastic spread into food items if stored in plastic)
2. Plastic cups for coffee and beverages are an unbreakable and convenient option, but we must take care that they should be reused as much as possible. Avoid the use of plastic coated disposable paper plates and avoid plastic spoons.
3. When we shop in a convenience store, the shopkeeper automatically gives us a plastic carry bag on purchase of any item, it could be a loaf of bread or a packet of biscuits, we always get a plastic carry-bag to take it home in. We must make a habit of being aware of this; most often we are so preoccupied that we carry out the plastic carry-bag without noticing that we do not really need it! The best thing to do is return the plastic carry-bag to the shopkeeper and carry the item by hand.
4. If you leave your home without a shopping-bag, as a rule, do not accept any plastic carry-bags for items that are already packaged. It may be a one time mistake that you forgot your shopping bag and so had to accept a plastic carry-bag for a vegetable, but packaged items need no such protection. Packaged items are all items that are not sold loose.
5. If you notice that you have accumulated unnecessary plastic in your home (plastic carry-bags, plastic containers that are no longer useful, other miscellaneous plastic items), please donate the same to a plastic recycling plant instead of throwing them out.
6. Reuse you existing plastic bags for garbage bags instead of buying new bags.
If we want better, cleaner surroundings to live in, it is up to us as individuals to maintain cleanliness. If we want a healthier environment for our children, it is up to us as individuals to protect the environment. Let us join together and make a positive change!
2. Plastic cups for coffee and beverages are an unbreakable and convenient option, but we must take care that they should be reused as much as possible. Avoid the use of plastic coated disposable paper plates and avoid plastic spoons.
3. When we shop in a convenience store, the shopkeeper automatically gives us a plastic carry bag on purchase of any item, it could be a loaf of bread or a packet of biscuits, we always get a plastic carry-bag to take it home in. We must make a habit of being aware of this; most often we are so preoccupied that we carry out the plastic carry-bag without noticing that we do not really need it! The best thing to do is return the plastic carry-bag to the shopkeeper and carry the item by hand.
4. If you leave your home without a shopping-bag, as a rule, do not accept any plastic carry-bags for items that are already packaged. It may be a one time mistake that you forgot your shopping bag and so had to accept a plastic carry-bag for a vegetable, but packaged items need no such protection. Packaged items are all items that are not sold loose.
5. If you notice that you have accumulated unnecessary plastic in your home (plastic carry-bags, plastic containers that are no longer useful, other miscellaneous plastic items), please donate the same to a plastic recycling plant instead of throwing them out.
6. Reuse you existing plastic bags for garbage bags instead of buying new bags.
If we want better, cleaner surroundings to live in, it is up to us as individuals to maintain cleanliness. If we want a healthier environment for our children, it is up to us as individuals to protect the environment. Let us join together and make a positive change!
- Details
- Shibu Varghese
- Hits: 1193
The matter regarding Coast Guard on high alert, to safe guard the coastal area, first they should guard our shores. The entire coast line from Carbyn’s cove beach to Brookshabad till the defense base is under threat. 
The blasting have removed the top soil and stone after blasting falls into sea which has destroyed the few coral reefs left in the world.
Secondly the Municipal Council disposes garbage in the same place, which also creates lot of damage to the environment as the same is always on fire, emitting methane gas and the residue gets washed into the sea. One thing every body should not forget is that the only beach in municipal area is under threat.
The irony is that the Administration has been asking for recommendations to improve tourism in these islands.