The effects of the 2004 Tsunami on mainland India and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Patterson Edward, J K and Kulkarni, S and Jeyabaskaran, R and Lazarus, S and Anita, Mary and Venkataraman, K and Das, S P and Tamelander, J and Rajasuriya, A and Jayakumar, K and Kumaraguru, A K and Marimuthu, N and Robert, Suluka and Jerald Wilson, J (2005) The effects of the 2004 Tsunami on mainland India and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. In: Status of coral reefs in Tsunami affected Countries. GCRMN, pp. 85-97.

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Abstract

Mortality from the tsunamis was high, with more than 7,000 deaths in the Nicobar group alone (the final number may never be known as many indigenous people on remote islands may have perished). On the mainland, there were a similar number of fatalities ; The greatest losses were in fishing communities although the waves destroyed roads, jetties, other basic infrastructure and entire villages; There was major damage to the coastal resources of southeast India, particularly to mangrove and coastal forests. On the Andaman and Nicobar Islands there was considerable damage to the coral reefs and beaches, as well as the forests; The earthquakes changed the bathymetry of the coral reefs and coasts of the Andaman and Nicobars: reefs in the South Andamans to the Nicobars subsided by 1 - 3 metres; many reefs in the northern Andamans were uplifted out of the water and died; and some beaches have almost disappeared, while new beaches have formed; There was major damage to large areas of coral reefs of the Andamans and Nicobars, particularly due to debris being washed off the land and smothering by sediments; Mainland coral reefs in the Gulf of Mannar and elsewhere suffered very minor, localised damage. Many mainland beaches were seriously eroded; and The affected reefs are expected to recover within 5-10 years, if there is effective resource management and enforcement of legislation controlling destructive fishing, coral mining, over-harvesting of reef resources, coastal development, sedimentation and pollution.

Item Type:	Book Section
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Tsunami 2004; India; Andaman and Nicobar Islands; coral reefs
Subjects:	Oceanography > Natural calamities > Tsunami Marine Ecosystems > Coral Reefs
Divisions:	CMFRI-Kochi > Marine Capture > Fishery Resources Assessment Division Subject Area > CMFRI > CMFRI-Kochi > Marine Capture > Fishery Resources Assessment Division CMFRI-Kochi > Marine Capture > Fishery Resources Assessment Division Subject Area > CMFRI-Kochi > Marine Capture > Fishery Resources Assessment Division
Depositing User:	Dr. V Mohan
Date Deposited:	23 Dec 2010 11:01
Last Modified:	09 Sep 2015 15:40
URI:	http://eprints.cmfri.org.in/id/eprint/6848

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