By Govinda Raju

Rain, rain; go away

Come again, another day

Little Johnny wants to play

But the rains won't listen to any amount of prayers, entreaties requests, vows or offers of candles, oil lamps or incense sticks little Johnny or old John make. As against 2007 that had proved a year of near-drought condition, the year 2008 has proved a year of rains -plenty of it. Mother Nature has been too generous and kind to make good the short supply of water that the people suffered last year. Alas! She doesn't know we have just laid the foundation stones. Hunuz, Dilli door ast when we would be able to hold her bounty to serve us in the rainy days! Her bounty still runs off into the sea around.

Since January, there was hardly a month that did not see a fair amount of rains. Since the onset of monsoon on May 12, it has been a state of perennial rain; sometimes in a continuous sheet, sometimes in bursts, sometime in the middle of bright sunshine, like a bolt from the blue allowing no time to take guards. It has disturbed normal life to an extent that people in general have come to hate it - the rain! Except, of course, the children! They enjoy every moment of the opportunity to soak in the downpour whenever their parents are not looking.

People had forgotten the use of umbrella and the romance attached with it. The younger generation is now getting a taste of what the 'Andaman Rains' meant when they have to fight heavy rains coupled with gusty winds when it becomes quite a struggle to keep the tenuous umbrella, the books and the cloths together and come out of it unscathed. Unscathed it is impossible to come out. By the time they reach home they all would be soaked to the skin the ubiquitous umbrella.

Forgotten raincoats too are much on display nowadays. Those riders who always thought wearing a helmet below their dignity are seen putting it on religiously, not so much for the sake of traffic police but the rain gods.

Traders dealing in umbrellas and raincoats have done a brisk business during the period. Stocks have exhausted in the shops and they now give dates for delivery of these commodities. All the old stuck up stocks have moved like hot cakes.

Severed Connectivity

Connectivity to other islands of the archipelago suffered the most after July 25 when ferry services to Nicobar district and Hut Bay had to be cancelled due to inclement weather. Rains with gusty winds made it impossible to ply the vessels. A couple of aborted attempts were made for Hut Bay. Even Neil and Havelock Islands were not approachable. The speedboats did make attempts but had to turn back due to severe weather and choppy sea. For two days, the outlying islands remained absolutely cut from the rest of the world.

It left people stranded in a state of uncertainty. Lack of connectivity also affected the movement of men and machines for construction works in those islands. Particularly, the construction of permanent shelters for tsunami victims suffered a huge setback due to incessant rain. The target would certainly go topsy-turvy.

Tottering Tourism

Hotel and lodge owners' however had a harrowing experience during this period. Coupled with severe tremors, the heavy downpour scared off the intending tourists to the islands. As it is, the situation was grim after the withdrawal of LTC tourism. The Andaman water Sports Complex wore a deserted look; the omnipresent Maruti Omnis were nowhere in view moving enthusiastic tourists. The tourist boats were all stayed anchored off Aberdeen jetty.

Airlines; many have them having withdrawn from the sectors, curtailed their scheduled trips day after day. Only the old warhorse, Indian Airlines/Air India continued its services moving primarily the islanders.

Thankfully, there was no appreciable water logging and flooding as there was no heavy downpour. It was constant light rain throughout that restricted free movement. People had not experienced such rains in decades. "People have forgotten. But this is the famous monsoon of Andamans" said Das of Meteorological Department