John Wilbert &Vikramaditya
Port Blair, May 14: The residents of Andaman and Nicobar Islands are currently grappling with a shortage of vegetables and some food items. The situation has arisen due to a combination of factors, including the impact of the severe cyclonic storm Mocha over the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea, as well as a scarcity of cargo vessels.
Normally, at least three vessels transport goods to the Andaman Islands every week from Mainland India. However, the ongoing cyclonic storm and the resulting adverse weather conditions have caused significant delays in cargo shipments. Furthermore, for the past 10 days, no vessels have reached Port Blair, exacerbating the scarcity of essential commodities, particularly vegetables including Potato, Tomato etc.
The Nicobar District has been hit particularly hard by the shortage, with onion, tomato, potato, eggs, packed milk, and frozen food items in short supply for the past three weeks. The situation has become so dire that a few vegetable shops at Great Nicobar have been forced to close, as the shopkeepers have nothing to sell.
Government officials stationed in these remote islands, frustrated by the scarcity, have expressed their concerns about the lack of basic provisions. They question how they can fulfil their responsibilities in such conditions and lament the fact that many people, waiting to return to Port Blair after their summer vacations, have lost money on advance flight bookings.
Addressing the issue, the President of the Vegetable Vendors Association in Port Blair explained that the delay in cargo ships from Chennai Port, caused by the cyclonic weather, has been a major contributing factor to the vegetable shortage. However, he said that there is hope on the horizon as TCI cargo ships, scheduled to arrive this night, tomorrow and day after which will bring essential commodities in their 50 cargo containers, ensuring the availability of vegetables in the Port Blair market and other Islands.
Additionally, the MV Campbell Bay ship departed to Campbell Bay via Nancowry today, carrying around 3 to 4 tons of cargo to address the vegetable shortage in that area. The market in Campbell Bay is expected to have a fresh supply of vegetables by tomorrow. Efforts are being made to ensure that sufficient cargo materials are sent in the next available ship sailing to the Nicobar District. It is crucial for the Directorate of Shipping Services (DSS) to act swiftly and deploy more ships to the Nicobar District to address the situation promptly as soon as weather becomes favourable.
