Port Blair, June 22: Mr. Kuldeep Rai Sharma, Member of Parliament, had met the Lt. Governor on 21st June 2021 and requested him to extend the timing of shop opening from 6 am to 1 pm from the existing lockdown schedule time of 6 am to 10 am, so that the daily wagers, auto drivers, truck driver, shop keepers, private workers, fishermen folks, farmers, livestock and day to day earners will get relieved from the hardships faced by them to a greater extent.
Mr. Kuldeep Rai Sharma today has expressed his gratitude to the Lt. Governor for considering his request for extension of timing schedule.
He urged the Lt. Governor to consider the construction of 8 (Eight) nos. of Relief and cultural Shelters at Campbell Bay, Noncowry, Nicobar, Little Andaman, South Andaman, Rangat, Mayabunder and Diglipur so that the Administration can provide mass shelter to the islanders who were rendered helpless due to the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic and Natural calamities. He has also requested that the “Relief and cultural shelters” should be capable of accommodating about 2000 persons at a time and these shelter can be constructed on high altitude plains or at the safest available place in such a way that it will withstand the intensity of any type of disaster and should have all the basic facilities like health care centre, toilets, Kitchen, dining space, shops, stores, water and electricity connection with backup power source.
Apart from this there should be separate accommodation for gents as well as for women. He has apprised the Lt. Governor that these shelters can be used as multipurpose hall in normal period where cultural and social activities such as Island tourism festival, Trade fare, big functions can be organized. He has further pointed out that A&N islands lays under seismic zone 5 which is vulnerable to tsunami, cyclones and occurrence of frequent earth quakes.
A&N islands are ecologically fragile and after the tsunami devastation the topography of these islands have changed drastically. Once these shelters are constructed then crisis management will be lot easier as it will be easy for the administration to approach the victims of natural calamities if they are accommodated under one shelter and provide them the needed help.