FLY INDIA'S FIRST SEAPLANE IN ANDAMAN

Is it a bird; Is it a plane; No, It's a Seaplane!!!

The long-awaited seaplane, that has captured the imagination of people, mainly through James Bond movies, “Jal Hans”, India’s first commercial seaplane service has, ultimately, taken off in the serene, historic islands of Andaman & Nicobar, the subcontinent’s largest and most sought-after island tourism destination.

As the “Jal Hans” - Cessna 208 A, the amphibian fitted with the modern navigation facets of a large jet, took off from the Flying Club Hanger, behind the ITF ground, VIP road at Port Blair for the hip and happening Havelock Island and flew, in splendour, over the city of Port Blair and the Ross Island, the erstwhile “Paris of the East”, so did the new-fangled anticipations of the mostly uncared for local islanders, who thrive on tourism as the only viable source of living in this vulnerable island territory.

The Islands’ Lt. Governor, Lt. Gen. (Retd) Bhopinder Singh inaugurated the operations of the country’s first commercial seaplane service in the Islands on the 23^rd January, 2011. He traveled with his better half on the maiden trip of “Jal Hans” to Havelock along with the Chief Secretary and senior officers of the Administration.

“It was an enthralling experience for the tourists, subsequently, to behold the awesome volcanic eruptions taking place in India’s lone active volcano at the Barren Island, while enjoying the first ride in the sea plane. The amphibian hovered around the Barren Island enabling the tourists to have a glimpse of the natural phenomenon.”

“The tourists, after returning, said that flying in the seaplane helped them to see the magnificent view of the various islands covered with green forests, the volcano and vast sea stretches around it. They were also enthralled with the information coming in from the pilot about various places they were flying past,” as reported by a local daily here.

The seaplane service which has come up as a joint venture between the public sector Pawan Hans Helicopters Limited (PHHL) and A&N Administration will be used to connect Port Blair with Havelock, Diglipur and subsequently other parts of the islands including Southern groups of Islands.

View of the cockpit of “Jal Hans”

Until now, anyone wanting to travel between these islands had to use boats or a couple of PHHL helicopters, which were predominantly allocated for the commuting senior officials of the A & N Administration. It was awfully formidable for the general public of the islands to avail themselves of a seat on the choppers.

Markedly, now again one of the first passengers after inauguration of the “Jal Hans” was the BJP President, Nitin Gadkari, who enjoyed the seaplane flights from port Blair to various islands, while on tour here during the first week of this month.

BJP President, Nitin Gadkari with the “Jal Hans” at Port Blair

The “Jal Hans”, with a seating capacity of 2 (pilots) +8 (passengers), can fly passengers and their baggage to distances within 250 km in about an hour and can land on most calm waters. The launch of the commercial seaplane service promises to open up new vistas for tourists wanting to visit far flung islands that cannot have an airport.

To facilitate safe operations, facilities for ferrying of passengers from the shore to the pontoons, sanitization of the water-drome before take off and landing, a speed boat of 10 passenger capacity & one stand-by boat (inflatable Gemini boat) and one floating jetty (pontoon) each in the above locations have been placed.

According to my good friend Shri N Ravichandran, the Controlling Officer, Seaplane Operations (PHHL), Port Blair, seaplane schedules have been released already to ensure regular and fixed operation of seaplane to various tourist destinations in these islands. As per the schedule, seaplane will operate everyday except on Sunday which is reserved for maintenance. (Details of the schedule and bookings - andamankalash@gmail.com .)

Accordingly, Port Blair to Port Blair (joy ride), Port Blair to Barren Island aerial view and Port Blair to Havelock flight schedule has been released and the “Jal Hans” will make trips to Diglipur (North Andaman), as well.

Meanwhile, local grapevine has it that this is not the first seaplane in the country. It’s being asserted, of late, that “the first seaplane service was launched sometime during 1995 but unfortunately the seaplane during its return flight from Little Andaman plunged in the sea near Dundas Point - Kumhra-Kheti area while landing on 06-09-1995. The mishap cost life of a Senior Officer of SAI. The recovered and reconstructed seaplane (Cessna Caravan) now stands displayed in the Science Centre at Goodwill Estate, Port Blair.”

Seaplanes in front of the Ross Island during the Japanese reign

However, as I’ve written in my earlier posts, as well, seaplanes are not very new for the people of these historic Indian coral islands, at all. The Japanese occupation forces had used seaplanes in the Andamans for sometime during the Second World War, till the Allied Forces had introduced a full blockade of the islands. But the fact of the matter is that those were only used for the purpose of warfare and not for any civilian use.

As I’ve written here earlier too, the Andaman & Nicobar Islands have been witnessing steady increase in tourist numbers, as the rich tropical rain forests and waters of the Bay of Bengal are home to a vast species of plants, animals and marine life, most of which are endemic to these islands. Adventure tourism, including trekking, island camping, snorkeling and scuba diving are also becoming increasingly popular in the Andaman Islands. The launch of the commercial seaplane operations is expected to boost tourism infrastructure, manifold.

Much to the cheer of the tourists, a special introductory price is currently in effect for a period of 10 days from 9^th February, 2011 in the Port Blair-Havelock-Port Blair sector, offering 50% discount on the operational cost fare drawn up earlier. A passenger can now avail a trip to Havelock at a meager fare of 2000 INR one way, which otherwise would have cost 4100 INR one way.

It’s a truly worthwhile experience to fly in the seaplane, as the amphibian offers large individual windows to each and every passenger that facilitates enchanting aerial view of the peerless scenic beauty of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands; particularly the kick of flying so low above the sea level, combined with the excitement of landing and taking off in the sea, makes it a marvelous experience.

So, when are you flying the brand new “Jal Hans” at Port Blair?

TOURISM BOOMS IN THE BAY ISLANDS

Sunny Isles in the Bay

 

The allure of these islands of the marigold sun, strung along the aquamarine waters of the Bay of Bengal, weaves a magical spell, even after millennia of upheavals, both natural and man-made.

 

 

An integral part of the mountainous landmass running from Myanmar to the outer reaches of the Indonesia; they were strangely enough bypassed by the main shipping lines that plied the waters of the Bay of Bengal. This isolation only enhanced the air of mystery that enveloped this emerald archipelago of 572 islands, islets and rocks.

 

Mangrove lined creeks

 

It has, now, been a month since I last posted an article on my dear blog here, which is because of the tremendous flow of excited tourists from the mainland India and abroad alike and tourism here has been getting the factual boom, yet another season this time, that it always deserved rightfully, with even the bigwigs of the tourism industry in India like the Taj group also eventually giving a final shape to scheduling their majestic, maiden venture in the Floating Paradise on Earth.

 

 

Hence, I feel it’s befitting enough that I post some really handy prominent features of these pristine islands for the sake of the curious tourists all over the world who would love to visit these inimitable historic Indian coral islands. Hence, here we go, pals…

 

Orientation:

 

Also called the Bay Islands, both groups of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands have their own distinctive identity. Port Blair is the capital as well as a bustling commercial hub.

 

Middle Point, Port Blair – the heart of the city

 

The main landmasses in the northern group – the Andamans – are North, Middle and South Andaman Islands that are separated by narrow waterways.

 

Smaller islands lie dotted around these. Further south across the Duncan Passage is Little Andaman; Northeast of Port Blair is Ritchie’s Archipelago, in which lies the now renowned Havelock Island, boasting of beaches rated amongst the best in the world.

 

Beach No. 7 (Radhanagar), Havelock Island

 

Rising from the azure waters northeast of Ritchie’s Archipelago are two islands of volcanic origin – Narcondum Island and Barren Island. The latter is India’s only active volcano.

 

Barren Island – India’s only active volcano

 

The southern group – the Nicobar Islands – is mostly inaccessible to tourists. It is separated from the Andaman group by the twitchy Ten Degree Channel. The southernmost island, Great Nicobar, is India’s largest island in this group whereas the northernmost island, Car Nicobar, is the administrative headquarters.

 

What To See And Do:

 

Hub: Port Blair – Historical Sites:

 

 

Cellular Jail: The mighty, invincible prison where countless martyrs of India’s Independence struggle laid down their lives. See a poignant Light & Sound Show.

 

Ross Island: Once an exclusive British preserve. The island served as the capital from 1858 till 1941, when it was popularly known as the “Paris of the East”. Read More

 

Viper Island: Gallows built on top of a hillock, during the British era, visible to all prisoners in the island, signified death at “Kaalapaani”. Read More

 

Gallows at the historic Viper Island

 

Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park: Comprising of 15 enchanting islands, including Red Skin & Jolly Buoy Islands, it showcases the natural tropical wealth of the islands and the rich marine life of the azure waters here. Activities – glass-bottomed boat cruises, scuba diving and snorkeling.

 

Snorkeling amongst schools of fish

 

Rajiv Gandhi Water Sports Complex: Offers thrilling aqua sports, safe water sports, adventure sports, row boats, glass-bottom boats, aqua glide, water-jet Ski, Para-sailing etc.

 

Captivating corals in the Andaman Sea

 

Mount Harriet: Highest peak in South Andaman. Ideal for trekking, picnics & bird-watching. Trek from Mount Harriet to Madhuban.

 

Chatham Island: One of the oldest and largest Saw mill in Asia, destroyed during the World War II, revived in 1950s. Read More

 

 

Chidiya Tapu Biological Park: Lush green mangroves and forests shelter numerous species of flora and fauna, many of them are rare.

 

Museums:

 

Anthropological Museum: Mesmerizing Insight into the world of pre-historic inhabitants of these islands – the Stone Age Tribes.

 

Fisheries Museum: Exhibits species of the rich marine life endemic to the islands.

 

Samudrika (Naval Marine Museum): Exhibits collection of shells and marine creatures.

 

Zoological Survey of India Museum: Exhibits varieties of sponges, corals, butterflies, and centipedes etc.

 

Beaches in & around Port Blair: Corbyn’s Cove beach, North Bay beach, Munda Pahar beach, Chidiya Tapu, Wandoor beach, Collinpur beach.

 

 

Hub: Havelock & Baratang Island:

 

Havelock Island: Boasts of Beach No. 7 (Radhanagar) – ‘The Best Beach in Asia’ (TIME magazine) mangrove creeks, rainforest trails, swimming elephants, Scuba Diving and snorkeling excursions under expert supervision.

 

Neil Island: Lush green forest and sandy beaches, it s the vegetable bowl of Andamans. Visit Bharatpur beach, Lakshmanpur beach, Sitapur beach and natural bridges.

 

Baratang Island: Limestone Caves, the unique Mud Volcano and Parrot Island.

 

 

Shopping: Aberdeen Bazar and ‘Sagarika’ – the Cottage Industries Emporium.

 

Fact File:

 

Best Season: October to May. Monsoon – May end to September.

 

Access:

 

By Air: Air India & private airlines like Kingfisher, Jet Airways, and Spice Jet etc. operate daily from Chennai, Kolkata & Delhi to Port Blair.

 

By Sea: Scheduled Passenger liners cruise from Chennai, Kolkata and Vizag to Port Blair harbour.

 

Getting Around: Taxis, auto-rickshaws and buses are available for transport within the islands and private cabs, luxury cars/motorcycles can also be hired/rented. Ferries ply between all inhabited islands.

 

 

Hope the information does come in handy for one and all and is put to good use while planning a tour to these exotic coral islands. Do be on the watch for the upcoming post with details about accommodation and other facilities etc. And those who are already planning or contemplating a tour this season, may contact one of the leading professional tour organizers in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands for competitive tour packages, and all the further details at –

 

Kalash Tours & Travels

Middle Point, Port Blair.

Email: andamankalash@gmail.com

Call: +91 9474265055

SEAPLANES READY TO TAKE OFF IN ANDAMAN

Sea Plane Starts October 1

 

 

These historic coral islands are poised to be connected by a faster and innovative mode of transport in the form of amphibian aircraft connectivity, popularly known as ‘Sea Plane’, as the Central Planning Commission has cleared its operation here from October 1, 2010 i.e. barely a month from today.

 

Instead of procurement of helicopters, the Planning Commission has given its nod for Sea Plane operation as Pilot Project on 50:50 partnership basis, the Director (Tourism), Andaman & Nicobar Administration, Shri Binay Bhushan informed at Port Blair a couple of days ago.

 

According to him, the A & N Administration has signed a MoU with Pawan Hans Helicopters Ltd., which will run the Pilot Project initially; as I had written in a post of mine about a month ago. As per the MoU, PHHL will operate Sea Plane from October 1, 2010, for island hopping by tourists in the breathtaking archipelago. The A & N Administration has provided an amount of Rs 146.40 Lakhs as advance to effect the operation, Binay Buhushan told the media.

 

 

Meanwhile, as per The Daily Telegrams, tenders for inducting sea planes on wet lease bases were invited and the successful bidder M/s Maritime Energy Heli Air Service Pvt. Ltd. will source the aircraft. The PHHL is currently operating chopper services connecting all the major islands in the archipelago.

 

To start with, Seaplanes will be available in the range of eight to 18 seaters. Operating the seaplane will cost about Rs 1 crore a month, including lease rental and operational expenses, that will be equally shared by the two government agencies.

 

 

This promising project, when materializes, is certainly to be greeted with warmth by the islanders and the tourists alike and the proposed operation of Sea Plane here also augurs well for the ensuing tourism and festive season.

 

As I had written earlier too, the Andaman & Nicobar Administration has chosen some of the most beautiful islands for being linked by the seaplane with the capital Port Blair. These include the happening Havelock Island (rated among the best beaches globally), Barren Island (an active volcano that most recently came to life five years ago), Neil Island and Diglipur (North Andaman).

 

 

All this would mean that there’s going to be an alluring bonus for the tourists visiting the tropical paradise of Andaman & Nicobar, henceforth and that’s the enchanting, spanking new Seaplane service for matchless island hopping, which is going to be India’s very first Sea Plane service.

 

The bottom-line – ‘Air Andaman’ is gonna be livelier, come October 1^st… Hurray…!!! :-)

INDIA'S FIRST SEAPLANE IN ANDAMAN ISLANDS

Seaplane Service by October

 

Come October and Indians won’t need to go abroad to fly a seaplane — the ones that take off and land on water.

 

 

For the first time in India's aviation history, seaplane operations are likely to begin in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in October this year, with the state-owned Pawan Hans Helicopters Limited (PHHL) planning to launch its services.

 

Pawan Hans Helicopters Ltd (PHHL) along with the Andaman and Nicobar administration is getting the country’s first seaplane for island hopping by tourists in the breathtaking archipelago.

 

The two government bodies agreed, last week, to equally share the cost of this programme that will, to begin with, be launched as a pilot project for six months in October and then extended depending on the response.

 

"We plan to launch seaplane operations by October 15," PHHL CMD, R K Tyagi said at a seminar on helicopter operations at New Delhi last week, adding that the operations would be launched jointly by the public sector chopper firm and the island administration to operate sorties for tourists and inter-island movements.

 

The PHHL, which currently operates helicopter services in the group of islands, also plans similar services in Goa and Lakshadweep after the Andaman operations settle down.

 

 

The chopper firm plans to wet-lease one amphibian seaplane, likely from a Mauritius-based company, for one year. The cost of the project, which is to be shared 50:50 with the A & N Administration, would be about Rs six to eight crores.

 

“We are going to issue a global tender to take a helicopter on wet lease (hired from a company that looks after its maintenance and provides the crew). Seaplanes are available in the range of eight to 18 seaters,” PHHL chief R K Tyagi said.

 

Operating the seaplane will cost about Rs 1 crore a month, including lease rental and operational expenses, that will be equally shared by the two government agencies.

 

The Andaman & Nicobar Administration has chosen some of the most beautiful islands for being linked by the seaplane with the capital Port Blair. These include Havelock (rated among the best beaches globally), Barren Island (an active volcano that most recently came to life five years ago), Neil Island and Diglipur (North Andaman).

 

 

The local administration will provide the infrastructure like maintenance units and passenger jetties in different islands where the plane will fly. The aviation ministry has long been pushing for introduction of seaplanes in India.

 

One does get an impression that seaplanes have a huge potential in India that has a coastline of over 8,000 km and dotted by several beautiful islands. In fact, PHHL was asked to get the first seaplane on its own but given the expenses involved, the PSU was looking at getting partners.

 

To questions on PHHL's chopper operations in the islands; he said the Union Home Ministry subsidized helicopter operations in the islands in 90:10 ratio.

 

This enables a local inhabitant to pay only ten per cent of the price for inter-island transportation while a tourist pays 25 per cent of the cost.

 

The Tourism Department has signed a MoU with Pawan Hans Helicopters Limited to wet lease seaplanes for six months to operate on a trial basis. If it works well, it would come as an enchanting boon both for the tourists and the local people alike.

 

However, seaplanes are not very new for the people of these historic Indian coral islands. The Japanese occupation forces had used seaplanes in the Andamans for sometime during the Second World War, till the Allied Forces had introduced a full blockade of the islands. But those were only the seaplanes used for the purpose of warfare and not for any civilian use.

 

 

News courtesy: The Economic Times ; Japanese Photo - www.ancestry.com

Rainfall, Active Volcano, Tours & Flights in Andaman

Dear friends! Here’s wishing you all a very “HAPPY DIWALI”, the annual Hindu festival of lights celebrated throughout India with peerless religious fervor by the followers of all religions, alike, making a strong statement of matchless communal harmony & integration throughout the globe.

I’m back to Port Blair from Car Nicobar where I’m currently Coordinating the implementation of Child Led Disaster Risk Reduction (CLDRR) Project under the aegis of the NGO - West Bengal Voluntary Health Association (WBVHA). The project is supported by the world renowned NGO – Save the Children – BRB for the community of Car Nicobar that was the worst affected by the tsunami of 26^th December, 2004. I’d elaborate on the project later.

As of now, since it’s raining cats and dogs in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands and a low pressure area has been created in the Bay of Bengal, here, let me present to you an interesting account on rains in these Islands.

Rain as companion

As detailed in my earlier posts, these Islands receive an inordinate amount of rainfall thanks to the “very green, thick, majestic, humid, dark, warm and wet” Tropical Rain Forests. Sometimes during the incessant torrential rainfall, the runway at the Veer Savarkar airport in Port Blair goes under water and the flights are turned back.

A couple of months ago, when the hurricane Nargis had stormed through the Islands across to Myanmar, the waters came into the terminal building, and stayed like an uninvited guest long enough to destroy most equipment like baggage scanners. Maybe it is an illusion but as you get off the plane and look at the runway it almost appears like a boomerang, with both ends raised.

Water logging due to Hurricane Nargis at Humphreygunj, South Andaman

Back in the Seventies, flights coming in from Calcutta used to stop over at Rangoon (Myanmar), as those days only small planes like Dakota, Viscount etc. with a seating capacity of 10–16 passengers only used to operate between the Islands and the mainland India.

More recently, till 2004, there were only four flights a day. That was before the Tsunami. Under its weight, the local economy lay crushed. To revive it, public sector workers were encouraged to visit Port Blair on LTC (Leave Travel Concession). From two lakh tourists they burgeoned to seven lakh in 2006. Never had the locals seen so many tourists visiting the islands.

The airport began to receive 13 flights a day.

Home boarding began at Rupees 1,000 a day; hotels added rooms; people took loans to buy Maruti Omnis to run as taxis. The one small dam, the Dhanikhari, could not supply so much water. Vegetables began to cost more: Rupees 80 a kilo for cabbage, beans, beetroot, all of which came from Chennai and Kolkata. From a holiday paradise it became a nightmare.

The LTC holiday-makers came with their entire families and often with no more than Rs 1,000 in their wallets. If the weather turned & their flights got cancelled they were done for. When they had nowhere to go and no flights that day to take them home, they sometimes found shelter in the airport. The Tour operators tried to make hay while the sun shone, buying tickets in bulk at cut rates, which were charged to the companies at full cost. “But everybody was happy - the tour operator, the LTC traveler, and the hotelier… Last year apparently, the government scrapped the LTC to Port Blair. The Paradise regained.”

A spectacular sea beach at Neil Island

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands take up about a fourth of India’s 6,500 km coastline and 30 per cent of India’s Exclusive Economic Zone falls in these waters. Yet, only 32 out of the 572 islands are inhabited, since habitability depends upon availability of potable water. “Which is again odd, considering that it rains out here about nine months of the year, sometimes incessantly for days at a stretch. You wake to the sound of rain falling, go about your business with the rain falling and when you sleep the last sound you hear is the rain falling. It becomes a constant companion, almost like tinnitus. You get used to it.”

Since these Islands bear the full brunt of both the North East and South West monsoon, only October, November, February and March are relatively rain-free. And although this region is far removed from the consciousness of the mainlanders, just south of Nicobar lies the Six Degree Channel, connecting to the Malacca Straits where piracy abounds. It is through here that the heavy traffic passes, about a 100 ships a day, oil tankers, cargo vessels, pleasure boats and the like connecting the East to the West. Our Coast Guard people here are thus reasonably busy. Every other day there is a distress call: man overboard, engine failure, leakage, and ship adrift …

VOLCANO IN BARREN ISLAND

The volcano in Barren Island was showing signs of restiveness a couple of years ago. It is India’s only active volcano, erupting fitfully. During times like this, a boat does a night cruise around Barren Island and anchors off it so you get to see the fireworks.

“The local Coast Guard chief hopped on to a Dornier aircraft in the night and took some pictures of the glowing mouth. He showed me those pictures and I saw them with a sense of wonder. That was the closest I have ever got to a spouting volcano. Some 135 km away,” said a beaming V. Sudershan, who was on a tour here.

The Barren Island Volcano in a dormant stage

But Barren Island, max three kilometers at its widest, is not entirely barren. There are bats and birds and crabs. But its most interesting denizen is the feral goat. Nobody knows how it got there but local lore has it that the goat was dropped off by a ship in the eighteenth century. Many stories of evolution surround these goats. One version says their necks are longer than those of normal goats for over the years they have sought sustenance from branches of a few trees, which persist on the island despite all that lava and ash. “All that stretching had a Lamarckian effect on their necks. But the bigger mystery was - how did they survive without any known fresh water source? It was speculated that they drank sea water, a feat unparalleled in the goat world. At last, sometime ago a scientific expedition discovered a couple of cold streams on Barren island.”

Sea cucumbers’ lure

With so many uninhabited islands covered thickly with trees, it is a temptation to timber poachers and divers looking for a bit of the coral reefs. Some look for sea cucumbers, a slug like creature that lives on the sea bottom and among corals in the shallow waters. It is considered a delicacy in East Asian markets and fetches high prices in restaurants. The Chinese cherish them for medicinal value. Like tiger penis, sea cucumbers are thought to be very aphrodisiacal.

So they are consumed in great quantities in many forms, from soups to powders.

“But local authorities say that the malarial forests and prevalence of brain fever deters sea poachers or sea pirates from setting up base in one or the other of the innumerable uninhabited islands.”

Courtesy: V Sudershan; Express Buzz.com