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Andaman and Nicobar Islands Earthquake and Tsunami Disaster 2004
Assessment Mission Report
Hut Bay, Little Andaman
| Assignment : | Assessment of Earthquake and Tsunami Disaster in Hut Bay, Little Andaman |
| Assessment Period : | February 4-5, 2005 |
| Purpose of Assessment : | To identify the most adequate response of ADRA in rehabilitation assistance in Hut Bay |
| Assessment Personnel : | Junko Fujimoto, ADRA Japan |
| Area Visited : | Hut Bay, Little Andaman, Andaman District, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Union Territory, India |
| Report Prepared by : | Junko Fujimoto, ADRA Japan |
Background
Hut Bay, on the southeast corner of Little Andaman Island, faces the open ocean northwest of Indonesia just a few hundred miles from the undersea epicenter of the earthquake off Indonesian coast. When the first wave hit Hut Bay, a town of 12,000, the several thousand people rushed for higher land. Only 43 people are confirmed dead here, although locals say the final toll may be closer to 100.
More than 7,000 people in Hut Bay have lost their homes, and at least 3,000 have fled north to live in relief camps in Port Blair. The government estimates a total of 42,000 people are homeless on the islands.
Source: The Week, 21 Jan, 2005
School and School Building
There are 11 government schools in Hut Bay, of which 7 are damaged by Tsunami. Out of the 7 schools, only one secondary school, Government Model Senior Secondary School, is currently in operation.
Harminder Bay School, which is located in the Nicobar Tribal area, was most damaged, completely losing half of its building. Some of the students who previously attended Harminder Bay School are now going to other schools. Next damaged school is Government Model Senior Secondary School which has been able to conduct classes in a few of their remaining classrooms. Staying at the relief camps, many people have not being able to get back to their routine, including regular attendance to their school. Some of the students have gone to South Andaman for betterment of living condition. Government Madel Senior Secondary School which had approximately 1,600 students attending their school has now only 400 to 500 students.
Affected Govt. School in Hut Bay
Govt. Primary School
- Annanagar Primary School
- Selon Bastsi Primary School
- Nanjapa Nagar Primary School
Govt. Secondary School
- Harminder Bay School
- Selon Bastsi Primary School
- Nanjapa Nagar Primary School
- Govt. Model Senior Secondary School
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According to the Vise Principle of Government Model Senior Secondary School, Mr. Rajappan, other damaged schools are Annanagar Primary School, located near Panju Tikery Camp, and Break Water School. Both schools have their buildings remaining, yet are suspending their classes for the security measure. Severe cracks were found in many parts of the building.
Another reason why primary schools are suspending their classes is that the teachers are assigned to each of the 7 camps for relief duty.
A NGO has committed to build 5 classrooms in Harminder Bay and another 5 in Govt. Model Senior Secondary School, although a launching date is not confirmed.
Principle of Govt. Model Senior Secondary School, Mr. ----, who is in charge of all school in Hut Bay, says that the number of classrooms is not a problem at present; however, once students in the camps start to attend their regular classes and those who have gone to South Andaman come back to Hut Bay, there will not be a sufficient number of classrooms to accommodate the returning students.
According to Mr. Mohameed Asif, who is a government contract teacher at Govt. Model Senior Secondary School and also a head of Handard Youth Association, approximately 50 boys and 30 to 40 girls, aged between 13 and 17, are commuting between Govt. Model Senior Secondary School and their residence which is more than 10 km away from Hut Bay and there is no English school available. Prior to Tsunami, they came to the school by bus running on a road along the coastline. Since the road was damaged by Tsunami and no bus is available for certain distance, the students have to walk though the jangle for about 4 hours. Due to the transportation difficulties, students cannot attend their classes everyday, if not at all.
With the national exam approaching (the first week of May), the students are very concerned about the disturbance they are facing. If there is a temporary/intermediate dormitory to accommodate them in Hut Bay, they would not have to travel trough the jangle and would be able to concentrate on their study.
Health Service
Due to the damage in the Primary Health Center in Hut Bay, health service is temporary provided in the corporate guest house by 3 government doctors and 3 government nurses.
Currently there are 5 beds in the temporary health center and more beds are expected to arrive soon. Government is now rehabilitating the original primary health center building which was partially destroyed and is planning to shift the temporary health center back to the original building in a few weeks if not earlier.
Health Statistics and Number of Health Centers in Little Andaman
| Doctors | 5 |
| Nurses | 3 |
Primary Health Centers
PHC Hut Bay
PHC R.K. Put
| 2 |
Sub-Centers
Harminder Bay (Hut Bay)
Netaji Nagar (Hut Bay)
Rabinder Nagar (R.K. Pur)
V.K. Pur (R.K. Pur)
Dugong Creek (R.K. Pur) | 5 |
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According to Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Mohammed Sammi and Dr. Dubey at the temporary primary health center, the health service is sufficiently provided at present. They visit the camps regularly for checkups and anti-malaria spray. In addition to their regular visit to camps, two NGOs are providing health assistance including health education at camps. A NGO called Voluntary Health Association of India, VHAI, is building a temporary clinic in Nanjapa Nagar and dispatching 4 doctors and 2 nurses. They are planning to build three more temporary clinics in Harminder Bay, Onge Tikery and Panju Tikery within a few months.
Water
Currently A&N Fire Department is supplying drinking water at camps. At Padauk Tikery Camp, there are a few water pipelines delivering drinking water for an hour a day. Fire Department collects drinking water from the natural water source which consists of three ponds. They purify the water in the ponds and uses for drinking water.
People are using one of the ponds for bathing and washing. However, being 4 km away from the center of Hut Bay, the water source is not very accessible for people at relief camps.
Prior to Tsunami, people in Hut Bay used wells for their water source. In some places many people had their own well. In other areas there was a well for at lease every 4 family. In some houses, there were also pipelines. But the supply through the pipe was limited to one hour a day.
Building water wells will be a permanent solution for many people in Hut Bay. Former Joint Director of Agriculture Department and a soil export, A.K. Biswas, helped me identify places where we can get drinkable water by digging 10ft to 30ft.
Since people in Harminder Bay are most likely to stay in their village where they have their coconut plantation, Harminder Bay, with population of 1201, is an appropriate place to build 3 or 4 wells. Government seems to make Panju Tikery as a place for permanent settlement. In the forest beside the settlement, we can get drinkable water under 15ft to 30ft. In Pandauk Bagicha, 10 ft to 15ft will be enough. Building a bathroom with toilets beside the well may be useful.
No NGOs has proposed to build wells in Hut Bay. Administration seems to like the idea of building wells, which is essential for peopleﾕs life, and tells us that NGO can start building as soon as they are ready.
Restoration of Livelihood
One of the problems local government is facing now is that the people at relief camps have no intension to work since they are getting free cooked food along with other relief materials.
Mr. Ragesh Kumar, Assistant Commissioner, wants NGO to help people get back on their employment. All the businesses near the seashore are washed away. NGO can provide the people who lost their businesses with tools and equipments so they can restart whatever business they were previously engaged in. Microfince is another helpful way to restore their livelihood.
Rubbles are still lying everywhere, yet a few people, if any, are cleaning the land. Some NGOs, including Oxfam and ActionAid, are to deliver program called Cash for Work. They will pay the local people who were affected by the disaster to do rehabilitation work in their own community. It helps them earn immediate cash income.
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