“The evidence of something crucial for knowledge appears in the most
unceremonious manner in front of you, almost every time. You see it, yet you never observe it
completely! And one fine day the same
thing re-appears and you call it an epiphany.
In reality, it was there, time immemorial, yet you chose to look the otherway!”
The last time
I narrated the story which I am gonna ponder here had to be left unfinished……as
the listener diverted the subject to another level where the story shifted to
fantasy including a particular Khal Drogo and Khaleesi (Game of Thrones,
obviously) and settling their scores etc !.
Anyways, I had actually written something closer to this in one of my
previous blog titled “The Last prisoner” and may be read for a little
continuity….a decade old continuity!.
Nevertheless, this time it is gonna be a bit more technical in
detail…..basically requiring an elevated neuron activity or in other words,
just kidding!
In September 2012, I was handling my independent project as a Hydrographer and headed to Andaman Islands for the Hydrographic Survey off Middle Strait, survey titled as “Oral-kaicha Island Part I and II”. After all the necessary planning and kitting we set sail to Andaman Islands from Visakhapatnam. My ship entered Port Blair Harbour for getting a few final administrative approvals as the area of the survey encompassed a reserved forest area hence requiring the clearances from the Department of Forest, Andaman Police and the Andaman-Lakshadweep Harbour Works (ALHW). As all the correspondences which required to be communicated were forwarded on an earlier date, the approvals were acquired in time. The ship left Port Blair harbour and headed to North. Around 45 Nautical Miles North of Port Blair lies the survey area.
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands is a preserved area with lush green forests, pristine beaches, with very less human interference (Yes, you can still see plastic in these areas too) absolutely enjoyed by the native aborigines of the islands in most of reserved forest areas. There are isolated settlements in between, predominantly owned by the second/ third generations of those convicted ones from the notorious cellular jail of Port Blair.
If one has to travel to the Northern Andamans for visiting Mayabander, Diglipur, Rangat Bay, Mud Volcano, Lime Stone Caves, Tarlait Bay etc. one has to land at Port Blair which is the Administrative Capital of the Islands. There are strict regulations regarding the traffic movements off Port Blair towards Northern Andamans. The vehicles move as a convoy escorted by the Police and Forest officials and it takes nearly 6-7 hours on road to reach the Forest Jetty of the Middle Andaman Island. Cross the Middle Strait via a ferry to Baratang Jetty, Baratang Island and further North to Mayabander, Rangat Bay, Diglipur etc.
It is true that the Islands have a darker reputation, till recently within a century, where the worst human sufferings took place in and around the Islands, mainly at the Cellular Jail of Port Blair. The sufferings did fuel the Independence movement in an unprecedented manner too. Even though these took place in a single location, predominantly, but was enough to tarnish the unspoken history of the land. But before that, the Islands were a pit stop for merchant ships which traversed between the mainlands into the South East. And that’s that…..with all due regards to those known and unknown, lets move ahead!
As I had mentioned earlier, that this project was my first independent one; and I lacked one crucial factor called experience. And it did affect my judgements on field however, having a super experienced and unforgiving boss ensured that the right wisdom was poured into me at times through hook n crook! So, my ship anchored off the eastern entrance of Middle Straits and commenced the basic settings for the survey. The tide pole, for measurement of tides was decided to be set up deep into the strait at the jetty of Baratang Island since that was the mid location between the eastern and western mouths of the channel. So, two 9 meter Survey Boats were lowered, carrying the men and material for setting up and started off early morning into the channel. I breathe a kinda freedom, when I am in water!!!
Here I was….on a different role, necessary homeworks done, full of expectations, assuming things, and hoping that everything falls in place….the unknown territory which every hydrographer walked before me have gone through….maintaining one simple code of conduct. The channel, is named as Godam Juru in local language and rechristened as Amit La Boicha Channel (citation required!) and would give one a feeling of entering unknown waters, similar to those intricate riverines of Amazon! Well, the feeling of Amazon is purely through those generous documentaries of NGC, Discovery and yes that goddamn Anaconda Movie (with J Lo’s hind quarters which they didn’t focus, and I wondered why). For a person who has lived mostly in main land, a trip through the internal waters of the islands can be an unforgettable one!
And here we are cruising slowly through the channel, absolutely calm waters and one could hear those distant voices of those birds perching somewhere in those tall trees echoing all around us. The infinite chirping of crickets, their momentary pause indicating the cautiousness to the humming of the boats’ engines……free souls aye ? Maybe its their way of telling one, eerily, that “I see you”! The banks had thick vegetation of mangroves spread deep then followed by thick vegetation. Since the channel is connected directly to the seas, the effect of tides is very prominent and the same tides have played a crucial role in maintaining the aquatic life in these parts. The jungle is thick and the banks are predominantly have light grey coloured mud/ clay, giving an appearance of finely made dough ready for baking. We spotted some huge crocodiles, Giant Salt Water Crocodiles!!….obviously the original owners of the place! The rumble made by our motor boats were enough to disturb their routine sun-bath and rushed back into the waters vigorously waving their tails…..million years of evolution and we see those distant relatives of a T-Rex!
We crossed the Lime-Stone caves which is one of the tourist attraction. A small jetty marks the alighting point which is made of wood with a long wooden ramp leading through the mangroves , deep into a small hamlet where the cave is situated. Yes, I promised my crew that we shall visit soon, but not now! We crossed a small island in between the channel called “Bell Island”.
After around an hour we reached Baratang Jetty. The jetty is swarmed by tourists but we had to do out work. The first step was to erect the tide pole on a suitable location without any disturbance of boats and people. Among my crew I had two qualified divers and they’re expected to be in the water while the tide pole was being rigged on to a strong structure. Since it was a concrete masonry structure the pillar of the jetty was chosen to be the ideal location. The locals who gathered around us in curiosity warned us otherwise! Because the spot is prone to crocodiles!! They generally don’t venture into the jety area during the ferry operating time, but, hey, why you want to take a risk??? And without the tide pole my survey cannot be fulfilled too. Meanwhile, the ‘Pradhaan’ or the President of the Village also arrived there and he suggested an idea….to make a temporary cage with bamboo sticks and the divers can work within that enclosure. The idea sounded good, and I agreed. He informed some local guys and within half n hour a cart arrived filled with long bamboo sticks. The entire village gathered around and helped in erecting temporary scaffolding around the designated area. My divers entered the water and completed the rigging in an hour or so.
This was one great lesson for me,
which I carried throughout my field-days that, without locals there aint any
team or teamwork. The Pradhaan helped me
to accommodate my tide watch-keepers in a nearby cafeteria. His and the Baratang Villagers’ help
continued throughout my three phases of the survey and I shall be indebted
forever for taking care of us. I ensured
that little packets of Juice bottles and Chocolates were transferred during our
phases from ship to the people of Baratang.
(Contd…)
