News Latest Information on Travelling to Andaman Islands?

Runway Status for Port Blair Airport From October,22 to February, 23

Updated: 19 Sep 2022

From	To	Status
18-Oct	21-Oct	Closed
22-Oct	31-Oct	Operational
01-Nov	04-Nov	Closed
05-Nov	14-Nov	Operational
15-Nov	18-Nov	Closed
19-Nov	28-Nov	Operational
29-Nov	02-Dec	Closed
03-Dec	12-Dec	Operational
13-Dec	16-Dec	Closed
17-Dec	26-Dec	Operational
27-Dec	30-Dec	Closed
31-Dec	09-Jan	Operational
10-Jan	13-Jan	Closed
14-Jan	23-Jan	Operational
24-Jan	27-Jan	Closed
28-Jan	06-Feb	Operational
07-Feb	10-Feb	Closed
11-Feb	20-Feb	Operational

RT PCR report on arrival
Updated: 14 Aug 2021
Andaman Tourism Opens
Updated: 14 Aug 2021

Andaman Tourism Opens: The Andaman & Nicobar administration has announced that all tourist spots in the South Andaman district will be opened for tourism activities with immediate effect 8 Feb 2022.
What is the advisory to travel to North & Middle Andaman District?
Updated: 14 Aug 2021

The tourists are allowed to visit Baratang/North & Middle Andaman on production of double dose covid certificate/ All other passengers viz. unvaccinated and partially vaccinated passengers (those who have taken only 1S1 dose of COVID vaccine) shall have to produce RT-PCR negative test report

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All asymptomatic fully vaccinated persons coming to these islands from mainland are exempted from the requirement of carrying RT-PCR negative test report,irrespective of the type of vaccine received and country of origin. Such fullyvaccinated individuals shall produce the final vaccination certificate at the origin airport, sea port in the mainland and at Port Blair Airport / sea port.
Alt asymptomatic children below 5 years of age are exempted from carrying RT-PCR negative test report and further RT-PCR testing at Port Blair Airport.
All other passengers viz. unvaccinated and partially vaccinated passengers (those who have taken only 1S1 dose of COVID vaccine) shall have to produce RT-PCR negative test report to travel to Port Blair from the mainland, as is the practice now. Such an RT-PCR test should have been taken within 48 hours prior to commencement of journey from the origin airport connecting Port Blair. Such passengers will also have to undergo additional RT-PCR test on arrival at Port Blair. Such passengers shall remain in self-quarantine till the arrival of the test report.
If a passenger on arrival is tested positive then, the prescribed quarantine protocol is to be followed.
All Airlines shall ensure strict compliance of this order and observance of COVID Appropriate Behaviour. Any non-compliance shall invite action under Disaster Management Act and other applicable laws.

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General Guidelines defined for traveling to Andaman Islands during COVID :

The Tourism Activities are permitted only in South Andaman & North & Middle Andaman District except Nicobar District.
Persons above 65 years of age, persons with home co-morbidities, pregnant women and children below the age of 10 years advised not to travel for tourism purposes.
Tourists/Visitors who are at higher risk due to some medical history are advised to take extra precautions.
Tourists/visitors shall minimize contact with other staff and visitors as far as possible and zero contact policy should be followed at all tourist destinations.
All tourists/visitors shall be briefed by the hotel concerned about do’s & don’ts to be mandatorily followed during their stay and movements.
While travelling tourists/visitors should wear a face mask and carry their own sanitizer and wet wipes for personal use.
At all tourist destinations, staff must wear face masks and wash/sanitize hands regularly while performing their duties.
Arogya Setu App shall be mandatory for all incoming tourists/visitors.
Respiratory etiquettes to be strictly followed. This involves strict practice of covering one’s mouth and nose while coughing/sneezing with a tissue handkerchief/flexed elbow and disposing off used tissues properly after use.
The tourists/visitors on arrival at Port Blair airport have to undergo mandatory Covid-19 screening with RTPCR test free of cost. Thereafter the tourists/ visitors are allowed to move to their respective hotels. However, they will have to be under quarantine at Port Blair in their hotel rooms until the result of RTPCR tests are received. In case of RTPCR positive test results, the tourists/visitors shall remain in institutional quarantine in hotels notified by the Hoteliers Association in consent with the A&%N Administration, on rate as specified or to the designated hospital/ Covid 19 care centre on case to case basis.

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What are the guidelines for testing for tourists coming to Andaman after August 03 2021?

On arrival at Port Blair :

1. The tourists need to carry COVID-19 negative test report from mainland based 1CMR approved lab using Reverse Transcriptase-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RTPCR). However, the sample for RTPCR test should have been taken within 48 hours prior to starting the journey from the origin station. (For e.g. if the tourist takes a flight from Delhi at 0600 hrs. on 1st September, 2021, the sample for RTPCR test should have been taken not before 0600 hrs. on 30th August, 2021).

2. The tourists/visitors on arrival at Port Blair airport have to undergo mandatory Covid-19 screening with RTPCR test free of cost. Thereafter the tourists/visitors are allowed to move to their respective hotels. However, they will have to be under quarantine at Port Blair in their hotel rooms until the result of RTPCR tests are received. In case of RTPCR positive test results, the tourists/visitors shall remain in
institutional quarantine in hotels notified by the Hoteliers Association in consent with the A&N Administration, on rates as specified or to the designated hospital/ Covid-19 care centre on case-to-case basis.

3. Tourists may also have to undergo random Rapid Antigen Test conducted from time to time on payment basis as prescribed by A8N Administration.

What if the tourists test positive after arriving at the Andaman Islands?

If the tourists tests positive during their stay in the Islands, he/she will need to undergo institutional isolation as per existing health protocols. The
cost of such isolation for govt. facility will be paid by the tourists as fixed by the administration from time to time.

If the patient wants to stay at hotels, he/she can stay in the hotels if all the conditions below are met:

a) Patients are not symptomatic and not more than 60 years old.
b) Request/ undertaking is made by patient in writing.
c)lf allowed by doctors.

Hotels will make necessary arrangements to designate a part of their rooms for institutional isolation for this purpose.

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Regular flights to Port Blair (the capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands) are operational now.
There are direct flights from Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore, and Delhi.
Public transports like cabs, taxis, and bus services are also functional.

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Travellers should carefully follow social distancing norms and wear masks as well. Also, before making any booking, they should refer to the latest travel news on the government website of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

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Mud Volcano Baratang Island

Introduction

Baratang is an Island in the Indian Ocean belonging to the Andaman class of islands. It lies just 150 kilometers away from Port Blair, the capital city of Andaman. Covering an area of 242.6 square kilometers, Baratang is one of the main islands of the chain and is mostly known for its natural beauty. Here, you can find plenty of beaches, mangroves, and other such wonders of nature. And, hidden amongst these gems is the mud volcano. One of such mud volcanoes in Baratang Islands erupted recently in 2005 owing to the oceanic seismic shifts of 2004.

The volcano had also erupted in 2003, which is why the locals have named it the ‘jalki.’ The mud volcanoes in Baratang Islands are the only known volcanoes in the whole of the Indian sub-continent, although other volcanoes exist in the surrounding islands. One example is the volcano situated in Barren Island, an island that lies in the Andaman Sea. This volcano is the only known active type of volcano in SouthEast Asia, Narcondum being the other. But it is dormant as suggested by the Geological Survey of India.

Mud Volcano Formation

Mud volcanoes, also called ‘Mud Domes,’ are formed by the eruption of mud slurries, water, and gases. There are various geological processes involved in the formation of mud volcanoes. But unlike actual ingenious volcanoes, mud volcanoes don’t spit out lava when they erupt. Moreover, their eruption process is not magmatic. The sizes of mud volcanoes lie between one and two meters to 700 meters high and between one and two meters to 10 kilometers wide.

Mud volcanoes stay true to their names, producing mud when they erupt. And this mud is what generally goes into the formation of a hot water spring. When the mud and the water from the springs mix up, they form mud slurries that are thrust upwards through fissures due to the hidden pressure. Most mud volcanoes lie underground. But some of them have also been found on or near land.

The temperatures of mud volcanoes are also usually lower than that of real ingenious volcanoes. They remain steady for the most part, ranging from as little as 2 degrees Celsius, going up to nearly 100 degrees Celsius. All volcanoes release different types of gases, and mud volcanoes are no different. However, a significant portion of the gases released by the formation of mud volcanoes is Methane. At the same time, some part of it also consists of carbon dioxide and other types of gases.

The slurry thus formed contains various elements mixed, including salts, hydrocarbons, and several acids.

Mud volcanoes are found in different places throughout the world, including in specific regions of Europe and Asia. For instance, in Asia, they have been predominantly found in places like India, China, Pakistan, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Similarly, in Europe, mud volcanoes are present in parts of Russia, Italy, and Bulgaria. While in North America, you mostly find them in places like California, Alaska, parts of Canada, including the Vancouver and British Colombian Islands, and Alaska.

In some areas of North America where these volcanoes have formed, there also exist petroleum deposits.

When it comes to South America, you find mud volcanoes in parts of Venezuela and Colombia.

Visiting Mud Volcano in Baratang Island

In India, the only mud volcano lies in Baratang Island, a part of the Andaman chain of islands. The volcano is one of the top places to visit in Baratang Island. To get to the volcano, you can take a short ride from the jetty of Nilambur and walk another 160 meters upwards to reach the spot. But do know that there is not much to see here as it is only bubbling piles of mud. However, if you are looking for a mud volcano in Andaman, the best ones you can probably find are on Baratang Island.

There are a total of 11 such mud volcanoes on the Andaman, and eight of these are present on the Baratang Islands alone, not to mention the middle Andaman region. There are also a couple of package tours that take you on a trip to the Baratang Island mud volcano. The tours typically start from around 3 AM from Port Blair. Some of these tours even begin at 6 AM. There are many such packages you could be booking these Baratang Island package tours.

Officials from the Forest Department are responsible for looking after the volcano and the areas that surround it. So, they are usually the ones that open the gates to the volcano and let you in. Also, on your way here, you can find several members of the Jarawa Tribe, the local inhabitants of Baratang Island.

If you are on a tight schedule on your trip to the Andaman, you might as well catch a ride from the Nilambur jetty. The volcano lies in the direction of Baludera Beach. You can also take a jeep ride, which will cost you about INR 200 per person.

Don’t forget to visit the Baratang Island, and especially the limestone caves and the mud volcanoes when you tour the Andaman. While the caves would be a feast for your eyes, you also get an additional bonus of witnessing one of the only mud volcanoes in Asia.

So, the Andaman Islands, especially the Baratang Island part of it, are a must-visit for every Indian citizen who likes to travel. The trip would be a treat for tourists. All the costs and the entry fees are covered in the package. The travelers also get a private AC bus to get around to different places. Whether it’s the mud volcanoes, the limestone caves, or even the sight of the local tribes, a trip to Baratang Island would surely be worth it on your next trip to Andaman.