Battling blaze, men from Indian Navy save endangered community in Nicobari island

A swift action by the personnel from Indian Naval Ship (INS) Kardip prevented a major fire from spreading in the ecologically sensitive Kamorta island, south of Car Nicobar in the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Declared as a Nicobarese tribal reserve area, Kamorta belongs to Nicobar group of islands and is surrounded by Trinkart island in the east, Nancowry island in the south, Katchal island in the south west and Boompoka and Teressa island in the north west.

Labeling the team from INS Kardip as “community heroes”, Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) revealed Tuesday that they swiftly responded to an urgent request from the local administration and heroically battled a fire that endangered Nicobari Basti in Kamorta village.

ANC – the only Joint-services Command in India which serves as a model for the country’s planned theaterisation of army, navy, and air force capabilities – mentioned that the defence personnel’s swift action and courage protected the local community.

INS Kardip is a Forward Operating Base of Indian Navy that was commissioned in September 1973. The establishment traces its origin to the first batch of naval detachment which landed at Nancowrie island on February 23, 1964. The base provides operational turnaround facilities including fuel, ration and medical aid for ships and aircraft of Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard and Indian Air Force operating in the region.

The unit also administers operationalisation and maintenance of ship support and refueling facility at Kamorta island which increases the operational reach and duration of ships patrolling around Southern Group of Islands and also undertakes Medical Evacuation and Search and Rescue operations in the region.

‘Kardip’ has been named after an island in the Nicobar group of islands in the A&N island chain. The crest design depicts an island shown in yellow surrounded by the sea. It also shows a typical Nicobari Hut (adopted from the photograph of a model at Port Blair museum) and a coconut tree representing the mainstay of the economy of the islands and the main source of livelihood of the local population.

The Andaman and Nicobar Command was created in October 2001 with an aim of strengthening India’s ‘Act East’ policy while enhancing capabilities to not only defend the national interests on the strategic islands and its vast associated maritime domain but to also deter inimical forces.

The geographic location of the islands, guarding India’s eastern frontiers while straddling some of the world’s most important shipping lanes, has made them one of the most important strategic areas for the nation.

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