Post-Tsunami Notes & Quotes From My Memoirs

A Prakash Rao

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Sep 8, 2021

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In the immediate aftermath of Tsunami that struck the South Indian coast in 2004, we happened to visit Andaman & Nicobar islands for installation of two Reverse Osmosis (RO) desalination plants at the selected sites/islands.

Subsequently we were successful in installing and operating RO plants in Car Nicobar island/Air Force Station (1000 LPH capacity) and Great Nicobar island/Campbell Bay (1500 LPH capacity). Incidentally Great Nicobar island or Campbell bay, as it was also called, was the southernmost tip point of A&N islands.

Following the tough & nightmarish tour, I made the following notes in my personal diary titled “My Experiences & Analysis” :

What I realized : “ The Harder you work, the Luckier you get ”

What I understood : “ If you do what you are supposed to do, you will get what you are supposed to get, sooner or later ”

What I experienced with my team members : “ Ability without Responsibility is a Liability ”

What I felt or concluded after seeing the functioning of local administration or bureaucracy : (1) “ If Tsunami was a natural calamity, post-Tsunami was a man-made disaster ” ; (2) “ The dictatorship and arrogant attitude of Civil administration officials was more destructive and damaging than the Tsunami ”

My emotional & poignant moment : Installing RO plant at Great Nicobar island or Campbell bay (tip of A&N) which was akin to installing or hoisting the Indian National Flag (tricolor) on Mount Everest !

Old sayings stand modified by me : (1) “ Little pure drops are made or produced from the mighty (salty) ocean ” ; (2) “ Daredevils rush in where angels fear & refuse to tread ” ; (3) “ Technology favors the brave ”

Threatening moments : (1) My team members (3 of them) threatened to walk out of the project twice ; (2) One of the senior bureaucrats namely Relief Commissioner threatened to refuse granting an official permission to me for leaving the island and vowed to keep me stranded for good !

Song of the Tour : Seated on the deck of the ship one night, while travelling by sea from Car Nicobar island to Great Nicobar island or Campbell bay, I thought to myself philosophically, “ People who are thousand miles away from you can make you feel better & rejuvenated than people who are right beside you ”

Bottom Line : All is well that ends well and all that ends well bodes well to all.