Tarun Karthick
Campbell Bay, 27 April 2024
The development of the islands is crucial, as it generates employment and improves the lives of islanders. However, this development often comes at a cost, usually harming the fragile environment of the islands.
Responsible and sustainable development is the need of the hour, but due to the irresponsible attitude of authorities and contractors, the harm to the environment is prolonged.
Various marine projects, such as the construction and repair of jetties, installation of signal lights, and transportation of materials to remote areas, require the use of Flat Top Barges (pontoons). Several pontoons were brought by different contractors and departments to Great Nicobar post-tsunami.
Today, these pontoons lie rotting on the beach near the Fish Landing Centre at Campbell Bay. The rusting and degradation of the iron have caused fragments to spread all over the beach, posing a hazard to fragile marine life and local people using the beach.
No responsibility has been fixed on the contractors and departments that have irresponsibly dumped these pontoons to rot on a pristine beach.
The contractors and departments have dumped these pontoons to rot at the beach for various reasons, such as the high cost of maintenance, high transportation costs of these barges to other islands, and a lack of secure areas to anchor pontoons.
Such irresponsible attitudes of the contractors and departments should ideally be met with substantial fines and legal action. However, the inaction on the part of responsible authorities is encouraging other contractors to do the same with their barges after completing their projects.
Marine pollution and degrading beaches by dumping these huge iron barges is a serious issue and should be tackled by authorities immediately without delay and with utmost seriousness.
At present, at least 08 Flat Top Barges are rotting on the shore near the Fish Landing Centre at Campbell Bay, in different stages of degradation. Some of the iron from these pontoons can also be recycled, and the government can earn revenue by auctioning these huge pontoons.