INDIA TOURISM,TORONTO UPDATES ON THE EFFECT OF TSUNAMI TIDAL WAVES IN SOUTH EASTERN STATES OF INDIA 

Impact of killer tsunami in India
Ripples initiated by the undersea quake sent a series of massive waves and walls of water crashing into eastern coast of southern Indian states.

- Tsunami waves triggered by south east Asian earthquake have affected the eastern coast of southern India.
– Worst hit states are Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and union territories of Pondicherry and Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
– All the other states in India remain totally unaffected.

- India Tourism Officers on a high alert – ready to provide emergency assistance to tourists.
– All rail, road and air connections to tourist sites in India are normal.

Tamil Nadu

Following major tourist destinations are situated in the coastal area of the state:  

Chennai

Mamallapuram

Tranquebar

 Rameswaram

Trichendur

Kanniyakumari

Chennai, Mamallapuram and Kanniyakumari have been affected

Entire stretch of Marina beach in Chennai damaged. Tourist places like Fort St. George, Kapaleeswar and government museum not affected.

No damages to 5 rathas, Arjuna’s penance and shore temple in Mamallapuram.

Tamil Nadu tourism development corporation suffered extensive damages in all its cottages on the beach side in Mamallapuram.

Major tourist spots at Kanniyakumari are intact.

No damage to Velankanni church, extensive loss of life of pilgrims reported in Velankanni.  

Seven hotels in Mahabalipuram coast near Chennai affected.  

Fisherman Cove (Taj Group of Hotels) — 20 cottages near the seashore submerged. Main building not affected.

GRT Temple Bay — 20 cottages submerged, main building not affected.

Days INN MGM beach Resorts — 15 cottages submerged, other parts unaffected.

 Idle Resort — part of the main building affected.

 VGP Golden Resort — 15 cottages submerged, main building not affected.

 Golden Sun Beach Resort — main building on the seashore has been affected

 Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation hotel fully submerged.

MGM Velakanni Resort in Nagapattinam severely affected.

Kerala

·         Kerala remains largely unaffected

·         No tourist or any tourist destination has been affected till now.

·         Some casualties in Alleppey and Quilon districts

·         Additional lifeguards have been deployed across all beach destinations of Kerala.

Andhra Pradesh

·         All airports, rail and road communications are unaffected.

·         No reported damages to tourism locations in the state.

 

Orissa

 ·         No land areas have been affected and no casualties reported

 

Pondicherry

 ·         ITDC property Pondicherry Ashok has been affected and part of the building has   been submerged.

 

 GOA

Is  absolutely  safe.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Help line numbers in New Delhi and affected areas

The Central and State governments have launched rescue and relief operations.

 

New Delhi

Control room New Delhi: 91-11-23092923, 23093054

 

Emergency control room, New Delhi: 91-11-23017457, 23017302
24 hour Ministry of Tourism’s Control Room, New Delhi: 
Mr. K L Das, Regional Director, India Tourism

88, Janpath, New Delhi 
Phone: Office —    91-11-23320005/ 23320008, 23320342
Fax: 91-11-23320109, Res: 91-11-26266126, e-mail: goitodelhi@tourism.nic.in

 Additional secretary, Ministry of External Affairs: 91-11-23011849/  23383348

Kerala
India tourism office: M V Babu, assistant director, India Tourism, Willingdon Island, Kochi (Kerala). Tel: 91-484-2668352/2669125, email- indtourismkochi@sify.com and 91-471-2322547 (Trivandrum), 91-447-123700 and State government operating 24-hour response cell. For information contact: 91-471-2322547 and 91-11-9447-123700

Andhra Pradesh

India tourism office: T W Sudhakar Rao, assistant director, India tourism,3-60-140, II Floor, Netaji Bhawan, Liberty Road, Himayat Nagar, Hyderabad Tel: 91-40-23261360/23260770 e-mail: hyd2_indtour@sancharnet.in

Pondicherry

Office of Chief secretary — CS Khairwal, Tel: 91-413-2334145,2335512 and collector cum secretary (revenue) — Kandavelu in charge of relief Tel: 91-413-2226147, 2248759

Tamil Nadu

India Tourism Office: V Elumalai, assistant director, India tourism, 154, Anna Salai, Chennai. Tel: 91-44-28461459/ 28460285, email: indtour@vsnl.com and K Marimuthu, deputy director of tourism, office of commissioner of tourism, Walajah Road, Chennai. Tel: 91-44-2388785/253616490/25366633 (office); 91-44-23783211 (res) and 9444365916 (mobile)

Andaman and Nicobar Islands 

03192-233110/234087 (secretariat) and Control Room tel: 91-3192-233089/230216

Top                                                                                                          

PATA’s report on tsunami

·         Most of Asia unaffected by tsunami

·         Tsunami only directly impacted the following places —
–  India (Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Pondicherry)
– Indonesia (Sumatra only — no reports of damage to Java, Bali or other major islands)
– Malaysia (north west peninsula Malaysia — not the east coast or Sabah or Sarawak)
– Thailand (Andaman sea coast only — not resorts in the Gulf of Siam such as Samui, Hua Hin or Pattaya
Sri Lanka (coastal areas)
Maldives (coastal areas)
Myanmar (southern archipelago only — minimal/ no impact reported at Ngapali, Chauntha and Ngwe Saung beaches)
Bangladesh (minimal impact reported)

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December 29, 2004   Posted in: India