Dr.Dinesh
Lime stone cave of Baratang takes about 90 minutes by boat from Baratang jetty through the exotic mangroves, (more high powered fibre boats which takes about 20 minutes will be an added advantage for the tourists if the administration can provide during the peak season as the tourists have to wait in the jetty for a longer duration) and a walk about a 1.20 kms to reach the cave through the village with tropical rain forests, bamboo plants which gives a continuous shade through out along the path & the path is almost sandy with little ups and downs even aged people doesn’t find it difficult, with sits outs at many locations for the old people to relax under the tress. Just before reaching the cave there is temporary sheds constructed by localites who serve lime juice in mineral water in disposable tumblers and cut cucumber sprinkled with salt and chilly powder, no tea or coffee is served. A thing to be learnt from them as it’s so hygienic. It is a polythene free zone; one can quench your thirst and proceed or come back and relax.
Limestone cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. Limestone dissolves under the action of rainwater and ground water charged with carbonic acid and naturally occurring acids the dissolution process produces a distinctive landform characterised by sink hole. The baratang limestone cave has a sink hole and is adorned with calcium carbonate formations produced through slow precipitation. These include stalactites, stalagmites, helicitites and columns. Now a days people from all over the world visit the baratang cave, many cavers has the habit to touch or hold on to everything in his or her surrounding, often because having a hold for hand gives the idea of being more stable on your feet, especially in the slippery cave environment, most of the time stalagmites they offer perfect handhold , but sometimes they even do it deliberately or where one of them is touching a nice formation or worse trying to stand on top of it for a nice photograph, this is by sheer ignorance or stupidity. Stay and admire them from a safe distance, if possible near to concretion move more slowly, nobody has the right to dirty or break a formation just to satisfy his own curiosity.
Sign boards stating “Don’t touch formations” “stay and admire them from a safe distance” should be prominently displayed at the entrance of the cave, as this formation takes years and years. Making inscriptions or graffiti on cave walls should be discouraged as it is an act of vandalism.

White LED lights should be put along the side instead of using emergency lamp by the tour guides of lime stone cave of Baratang as there is total darkness at the end point, moreover it is safe for ladies and children as this cave has a narrow passage.
It is extremely important that all cavers start caring about our limestone cave of Baratang and start to educate visitors through tourist guides to good caving manners before they begin to enter, this will preserve the formations.

Staff Correspondent

Port Blair, Jan 05: A group of four local youths from Diglipur and Port Blair Islands have done something, which the Administration has failed to do all these years. These greatly committed and highly motivated youths have now taken up initiatives to put the Diglipur Island in world tourism map. Not just this, these youths plan a sustained and self-sufficient tourism model for Diglipur Island, so that everyone in the Island can reap the benefits of tourism boom in Diglipur.
“Diglipur has several promising but lesser known tourist sites. Among them Ross and Smith Islands, chain of nearly 130 Mud Volcanos in Shyam Nagar, Turtle Nesting at Kalipur, Ramnagar beach and Alfred Caves (nearly 30 in numbers) have the highest potential to attract large number of tourists. We want Administration to take some serious steps to promote these spots and create basis infrastructure for tourists,” Axex Rajan, the General Secretary of Diglipur Association for Rural Tourism and Ecological Development (DARTED) told Andaman Sheekha today.
The team consisting of Alex Raja, General Secretary, D J Venkatesh, Vice President, Bibhas Kumar Biswas, Jt. Secretary and Mr. Uttam Kumar Saha, President of DARTED, is presently visiting Port Blair and knocking doors of every top officer of A & N Administration to sensitize them about the Tourism Potential of Diglipur Island.
“We demand regular vessels (night sailing) for Diglipur Island from Port Blair and some of these vessels should be sent via Havelock Island, so that tourists don’t have to come all the way to Port Blair and travel to Diglipur. We also want entry fee waiver for entry in Ross and Smith and Saddle Peak, which is excessively high at present. A & N Islands Wild Life (Protection) Rules 2008 has provided for various kinds of fees payable under Rules 17, 18 and 19 and also empower Lt. Governor under Sub-Rule 19(d) of the said rules to give exemption from such fees. Such exemption can provide a positive incentive for tourism promotion in North Andaman,” Mr. Rajan added.

Meanwhile the team has already put some efforts on the grounds like putting signboard on the route of Diglipur Mud Volcano, taking officials to Lime Stone caves etc.
According to these youths, if promoted properly tourism industry can easily provide employment to thousands of youths in North and Middle Andaman and boost the economy.
Hope these efforts will be suitably acknowledged by the Administration and decision makers will take some serious steps for the Tourism Transformation of Diglipur Islands.

 

Port Blair, Jan 02: Training programme on “Livelihood Options in Agriculture & Allied fields in degraded coastal Lands” was conducted from 29th to 31st December, 2011 under the NAIP project at Out Reach Centre (ORC) of CARI supported by NABARD, Port Blair.

Dr. A.K. Singh, DDG, NRM, ICAR, New Delhi, Dr. N.P. Singh, Director, ICAR Research Complex, Goa and Dr. S.K. Ambast, Director, CARI, visited Dashrathpur village at Rangat and Deshbandhu Gram at Diglipur to witness different interventions like Broad Bed & Furrow System, Rice cum fish farming and Three tier system done under the land shaping programmes. They also visited other farmer’s field who had undertaken seed production of HYV of rice, demonstration of pulses, sweet potato and chilli jointly conducted by division of Field Crops, Horticulture & Forestry and ORC which was appreciated . The team interacted with the trainees and spoke on the different technological options that can be implemented for the betterment of the stakeholders. They assured for all support from the team of scientist of CARI in providing technological knowhow and do how.

Mr. Raghavan, Manager, NABARD spoke about the livelihood schemes and financial supports to start the enterprise for livelihood. He also interacted with the farmers to get the feedback on the benefits of the training and technological demonstration conducted by the ORC. Dr. Ajmer Singh, Head Incharge, Social Science Section, Dr. A. Velumurugan, Senior Scientist of NRM Division and Dr. S.K. Zamir Ahmed, Senior Scientist and Coordinator, ORC delivered information on making of bankable projects, management of soil and water with suitable crops and livelihood options for degraded land in participatory mode respectively.

A total of sixty five farmers representing Deshbandhu Gram, Khudirampur, R.K. Gram, V.S. Pally, Madhupur, Laxmipur , Ganesh Nagar and Sita Nagar cluster of villages attended the programme.

 

Baratang Correspondent

Baratang, Dec 30: A group of near 15 Jarawa tribes reportedly snatched away food items from two houses ofBolchaVillage(Uday Garh) in Middle Andaman this afternoon.

“Nearly 15 Jarawa people today forcefully entered house of Imlus Ikka and Flora Khujur in Bolcha village and snatched away Sugar, cooked food items, clothes, rice and a few utensils. Some Jarawa youths even threatened the house owners when they resisted,” Mr. Biju Gurudasan the Pradhan of Sundergarh area of Middle Andaman told ‘Andaman Sheekha’ today.

Gurudasan added that this is not the first such incident in Baratang area. Baratang area of Middle Andaman is situated close to the Jarawa Reserve Forest of Middle and South Andaman, which is the home for nearly 300 odd Jarawa Tribes.

“A few years back some Jarawa people had entered into the Bengali GhatvillageofBaratangand snatched away items made up of iron,” the Pradhan added.

The matter was immediately conveyed to police by villagers and the Pradhan of the Sundergarh this afternoon.

“We have learnt that the Jarawa people were brought near the inhabited area by the staffs of Andaman Adim Janjati Vikas Samity in a moterized boat for collected honey. I want to ask what was the need for this, when there is enough area insideJarawaReserveForest?” Gurudasan added.

“The matter is not so serious but yes, some Jarawa Tribes did enter inside villages,” a police official told ‘Andaman Sheekha’ who does not want his name to be quoted.

N & M Correspondent

Thoratang, Dec 30: A Tata Sumo today turned turtle at Thoratang area of Middle Andaman. According to information the accident occurred due to the negligence to the driver, who was reportedly drunk. However according to police no one was injured in the accident.

According to eyewitnesses a police team headed by the SHO of P S Billyground, Mr. Pritam Bihari took the driver to Billyground Hospital for medical examination where it was confirmed that the driver was under the influence of liquor. A case has been registered against the driver under 185 MV Act, it is learnt.

N & M Correspondent