Katchal
Encyclopedia
Katchal is one of the Nicobar Islands
, India
. Its area is 174.4 km² (67.3 sq mi).
It is approximately 1600 km (994.2 mi) away from mainland (India) and 305 km (189.5 mi) south to capital Port Blair
.
Katchal was earlier known as Tihnyu, has been home to both indigenous and non-indigenous people.
Katchal was one of the worst affected islands during the 2004 Tsunami
. This region belongs to the Indian territory and comes under the Nicobar district.
Katchal is inhabited by Nicobari Tribes and Migrated Tamilians (For Rubber plantation workers under Sastri-Srimao Bandaranayaka Pact of 1964). The Island is not open to tourists and special permission is required from the local administration at Port Blair.
At sunrise on 1 January, 2000, picturesque Katchal Island was in the news. Many rich and famous people from around the world had converged on it for a glimpse of the millennium's first sunrise.
The Tsunami
of 26 December, 2004 devastated the Island, disturbing the socio-economic set-up of its inhabitants. Of the 5,000 people missing (5000 is official - actual is more) in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, 1,549 were believed to be from Katchal.
To support the local population a sizable number of Govt. Staffs were posted to this Island prior to the Tsunami
day. Most of the staff went missing as majority of the Govt. provided Staff Quarters were situated very close to the sea shore and a very few managed to escape to the nearby hill. To cite an example - not a single teacher out of 47 posted here prior to 26-11-2004 were found alive.
Some people managed to escape the waters by clinging over to coconut
tree tops. Of the 344 people reported dead, only one body could be identified. Either the bodies were decomposed beyond recognition or there were no survivors to claim them. Post Tsunami relief camps are set up at E-Wall, MRN, Salo-Tikrey and Japan Tikrey.
After Tsunami almost all the tribal chiefs and their heirs were killed, leaving the tribals virtually headless. According to initial estimates, 112 hectares (277 acres) of land has been rendered useless due to salination, and 3.54 lakh coconut and an equal number of Supari (betel nut) trees destroyed.
The nearby Trinket island appears as it is divided into three. Tsunami
waves came over it on December 26, 2004 and it was submerged under water for several days. It had two villages — Trinket and Safed Balu with an estimated population of 475. The total number of dead or missing is 102, survivors 374 — all of whom were rescued from the sea. Since the island was not considered safe any more by the natives, they initially wanted to settle in nearby Kamorta
island.
The Nicobar Islands can be divided in three groups - northern, central and southern. Katchal is the largest island of the central group of islands and had 35 villages (of which six were main villages). After the tsunami, the natives regrouped and formed four tribal villages in the island viz. E Wall, Meenakshi Ram Nagar, Japan Tikry and Upper Katchal. Mildera is another village in the island inhabitated by non tribal people (Tamil repatriates and Ranchi communities).
The highest peak of Katchal is 835 feet high. Languages spoken in Katchal speak Nicobari, Hindi
, Tamil
, Telugu
and Santhali. Due to the remote location and lack of exposure with the rest of the world, outsiders economically exploited the innocent islanders for a long time. To stop their economic exploitation, the Government of India declared the Nicobar Islands an Aboriginal Tribal Reserve Area (ATRA) on 2 April, 1957. This made the Nicobar Islands inaccessible to outsiders and currently even Indian nationals need a special tribal pass to visit the islands. Only Government Servants (outsiders) posted to Katchal Islands are allowed to stay in the Island.
Nicobar
Islands have experienced all kinds of external influences for centuries, because they are located along an ancient international sea trade route and have been known to voyagers and scholars since ancient times. Due to this, the islands have been receiving external influences, which have affected their culture and race over the centuries. According to recent history, an archeological inscription dating to AD 1059 says that Nicobar
was part of the overseas kingdom of Tamil Chola King of Tanjore. In 1869, the British
took possession of the Nicobar Islands from the Danes
and made them a part of modern India.
The Hills of Katchal are composed of Calcareous
Sandstone
and marble
slates, and in the beautiful tropical forest of Katchal one will find lots of Pythons, Black Monkeys and Pigs
. Katchal is full of natural beauty. The eye-catching scenery of the beaches, the jungle, and the sunrise and sunset are some of the things that make the island really worth visiting.
The main stay of their economy is Coconut, Betelnut or Arecanut trade. In 1968, rubber plantation and subsequently Red Oil Palm plantation were established here.
Health: Primary Health Centre: 1 Nos
Health Sub Centre: 3 Nos
Education: (Based on Indian Systems)
Primary School - 6 Nos ( Kinder Gardens to 5th Standard),
Middle School - 2 Nos ( 6th to 8th Standard),
Senior Secondary School - 1 Nos (11th to 12th Standard)
Water Supply: Water supply is adequate and sufficient.
Power: Presently it is electrified but is proposed to augment the DG (Diesel Generators) capacity at Katchal Islands by 3x128 KW DG Sets.
Roads: 8.66 KM Pucca road.
Cooperative Societies: 4 Nos
Police Station: 1
Present mode of main transportation: By Shipping (from Kamorta by Ferry).
Communication: Wireless Local Loop Phones and PSTN phones. Mobile phone signal strength is currently very low.
Information Technology: Proposed to connect by VSAT under E- Governance project of A & N Administration for speeding up the developmental works and effective monitoring .
Jetty (Small Ports) - A temporary Berthable Jetty is available.
Nicobar Islands
The Nicobar Islands are an archipelagic island chain in the eastern Indian Ocean...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Its area is 174.4 km² (67.3 sq mi).
It is approximately 1600 km (994.2 mi) away from mainland (India) and 305 km (189.5 mi) south to capital Port Blair
Port Blair
Port Blair is the largest town and a municipal council in Andaman district in the Andaman Islands and the capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a union territory of India...
.
Katchal was earlier known as Tihnyu, has been home to both indigenous and non-indigenous people.
Katchal was one of the worst affected islands during the 2004 Tsunami
Tsunami
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
. This region belongs to the Indian territory and comes under the Nicobar district.
Katchal is inhabited by Nicobari Tribes and Migrated Tamilians (For Rubber plantation workers under Sastri-Srimao Bandaranayaka Pact of 1964). The Island is not open to tourists and special permission is required from the local administration at Port Blair.
At sunrise on 1 January, 2000, picturesque Katchal Island was in the news. Many rich and famous people from around the world had converged on it for a glimpse of the millennium's first sunrise.
The Tsunami
Tsunami
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
of 26 December, 2004 devastated the Island, disturbing the socio-economic set-up of its inhabitants. Of the 5,000 people missing (5000 is official - actual is more) in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, 1,549 were believed to be from Katchal.
To support the local population a sizable number of Govt. Staffs were posted to this Island prior to the Tsunami
Tsunami
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
day. Most of the staff went missing as majority of the Govt. provided Staff Quarters were situated very close to the sea shore and a very few managed to escape to the nearby hill. To cite an example - not a single teacher out of 47 posted here prior to 26-11-2004 were found alive.
Some people managed to escape the waters by clinging over to coconut
Coconut
The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...
tree tops. Of the 344 people reported dead, only one body could be identified. Either the bodies were decomposed beyond recognition or there were no survivors to claim them. Post Tsunami relief camps are set up at E-Wall, MRN, Salo-Tikrey and Japan Tikrey.
After Tsunami almost all the tribal chiefs and their heirs were killed, leaving the tribals virtually headless. According to initial estimates, 112 hectares (277 acres) of land has been rendered useless due to salination, and 3.54 lakh coconut and an equal number of Supari (betel nut) trees destroyed.
The nearby Trinket island appears as it is divided into three. Tsunami
Tsunami
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
waves came over it on December 26, 2004 and it was submerged under water for several days. It had two villages — Trinket and Safed Balu with an estimated population of 475. The total number of dead or missing is 102, survivors 374 — all of whom were rescued from the sea. Since the island was not considered safe any more by the natives, they initially wanted to settle in nearby Kamorta
Kamorta
Kamorta is part of the Nicobar Islands chain, located in the northeast Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea....
island.
The Nicobar Islands can be divided in three groups - northern, central and southern. Katchal is the largest island of the central group of islands and had 35 villages (of which six were main villages). After the tsunami, the natives regrouped and formed four tribal villages in the island viz. E Wall, Meenakshi Ram Nagar, Japan Tikry and Upper Katchal. Mildera is another village in the island inhabitated by non tribal people (Tamil repatriates and Ranchi communities).
The highest peak of Katchal is 835 feet high. Languages spoken in Katchal speak Nicobari, Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
, Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
, Telugu
Telugu language
Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu...
and Santhali. Due to the remote location and lack of exposure with the rest of the world, outsiders economically exploited the innocent islanders for a long time. To stop their economic exploitation, the Government of India declared the Nicobar Islands an Aboriginal Tribal Reserve Area (ATRA) on 2 April, 1957. This made the Nicobar Islands inaccessible to outsiders and currently even Indian nationals need a special tribal pass to visit the islands. Only Government Servants (outsiders) posted to Katchal Islands are allowed to stay in the Island.
Nicobar
Nicobar
Nicobar can refer to:* Nicobar Islands**Car Nicobar**Great Nicobar Island**Little Nicobar* Nicobar district-Animals:*Nicobar Shrew*Nicobar Treeshrew*Nicobar long-tailed macaque*Nicobar Flying Fox* Nicobar Pigeon* Nicobar Megapode...
Islands have experienced all kinds of external influences for centuries, because they are located along an ancient international sea trade route and have been known to voyagers and scholars since ancient times. Due to this, the islands have been receiving external influences, which have affected their culture and race over the centuries. According to recent history, an archeological inscription dating to AD 1059 says that Nicobar
Nicobar
Nicobar can refer to:* Nicobar Islands**Car Nicobar**Great Nicobar Island**Little Nicobar* Nicobar district-Animals:*Nicobar Shrew*Nicobar Treeshrew*Nicobar long-tailed macaque*Nicobar Flying Fox* Nicobar Pigeon* Nicobar Megapode...
was part of the overseas kingdom of Tamil Chola King of Tanjore. In 1869, the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
took possession of the Nicobar Islands from the Danes
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
and made them a part of modern India.
The Hills of Katchal are composed of Calcareous
Calcareous
Calcareous is an adjective meaning mostly or partly composed of calcium carbonate, in other words, containing lime or being chalky. The term is used in a wide variety of scientific disciplines.-In zoology:...
Sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
and marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
slates, and in the beautiful tropical forest of Katchal one will find lots of Pythons, Black Monkeys and Pigs
PIGS
PIGS is a four letter acronym that can stand for:* PIGS , Phosphatidylinositol glycan anchor biosynthesis, class S, a human gene* PIGS , the economies of Portugal, Italy , Greece and Spain...
. Katchal is full of natural beauty. The eye-catching scenery of the beaches, the jungle, and the sunrise and sunset are some of the things that make the island really worth visiting.
The main stay of their economy is Coconut, Betelnut or Arecanut trade. In 1968, rubber plantation and subsequently Red Oil Palm plantation were established here.
Facilities at Katchal Island
Permanent shelters are under construction, with no foreseeable completion date.Health: Primary Health Centre: 1 Nos
Health Sub Centre: 3 Nos
Education: (Based on Indian Systems)
Primary School - 6 Nos ( Kinder Gardens to 5th Standard),
Middle School - 2 Nos ( 6th to 8th Standard),
Senior Secondary School - 1 Nos (11th to 12th Standard)
Water Supply: Water supply is adequate and sufficient.
Power: Presently it is electrified but is proposed to augment the DG (Diesel Generators) capacity at Katchal Islands by 3x128 KW DG Sets.
Roads: 8.66 KM Pucca road.
Cooperative Societies: 4 Nos
Police Station: 1
Present mode of main transportation: By Shipping (from Kamorta by Ferry).
Communication: Wireless Local Loop Phones and PSTN phones. Mobile phone signal strength is currently very low.
Information Technology: Proposed to connect by VSAT under E- Governance project of A & N Administration for speeding up the developmental works and effective monitoring .
Jetty (Small Ports) - A temporary Berthable Jetty is available.