Cable fault triggers communications blackout in southern Nicobar Islands
locals forced to rely on satellite
Port Blair: Residents of Nancowry and Great Nicobar were cut off from the mainland after a fault struck the Chennai-Andaman and Nicobar Islands (CANI) Submarine Optical Fibre Cable, the region’s primary digital link, since Sunday. Internet, mobile and landline services went down, forcing authorities to divert limited satellite bandwidth to essential services such as voice calls, banking and administration.
Preliminary diagnostics traced the fault to about 1.06 km offshore from Car Nicobar. Officials said cable breaks are usually located using Optical Time Domain Reflectometers and repeater power monitoring, though the exact cause can only be confirmed once the section is recovered and inspected at sea.
The CANI system was inaugurated in 2020 and is operated by BSNL under a tripartite agreement with the Andaman & Nicobar Administration and the Universal Service Obligation Fund. Annual maintenance costs are borne by the A&N Administration, while BSNL coordinates submarine repairs through the South East Asia and Indian Ocean Cable Maintenance Agreement (SEAIOCMA).
Repair and restoration activities will be carried out by deploying specialized vessels, operated by the Global Marine Group and ASEAN Cableship. These vessels are equipped with remotely operated vehicles to retrieve, splice and re-lay damaged sections. As the Andaman waters are experiencing rough weather, the restorations process may take days to weeks. According to local sources, it may take 1 to 3 months.
Until restoration, southern Nicobar Islands will rely on emergency satellite connectivity.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
UP Cong holds statewide protest seeking probe into FIR against Swami Avimukteshwaranand
Lucknow (PTI): The Uttar Pradesh Congress on Wednesday staged a statewide protest demanding a fair and transparent inquiry into the FIR lodged against Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati and those who filed the complaint against him.
In a statement issued here, the party said memorandums addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi were submitted through district magistrates in all districts of the state.
Uttar Pradesh Congress spokesperson Manish Hindvi told PTI that the memorandums were handed over through the district administration in all 75 districts.
In the memorandum, the party alleged that Saraswati and his disciples were "unnecessarily harassed and humiliated" by police on the occasion of Amavasya and were prevented from taking a ritual bath (at the Magh Mela). It further alleged that some disciples were manhandled and taken to a police station.
The memorandum also claimed that an FIR was later registered against Saraswati, his disciple Swami Mukundanand Brahmachari and several unidentified persons in a sexual harassment case. It termed the case a "conspiracy" aimed at tarnishing the seer's reputation.
Citing Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution, the memorandum stated that these provisions guarantee religious freedom and the right of religious denominations to manage their own affairs.
It described the position of shankaracharya held by Saraswati as "one of the highest spiritual posts in Sanatan tradition" and alleged that the entire episode appeared to have been "orchestrated in a planned manner".
"We request that the background of the persons who got the FIR registered be investigated in a transparent manner by a retired high court judge and strict action be taken against them," the memorandum said.
It also sought a "fair and transparent probe" into the allegations levelled against Saraswati so that the truth could be established.
Earlier, Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai had told reporters in Varanasi after meeting Saraswati that the party stood firmly with him.
The Congress said it would continue to press for an impartial inquiry into the entire episode.
On February 21, an FIR was lodged in Prayagraj against Saraswati and his disciple Mukundanand Brahmachari on charges of sexually abusing two persons, including a minor, over the past year at a gurukul and religious congregations, including the recently concluded Magh Mela.
Days after he was booked, Saraswati had said on Monday that he would not oppose his arrest and asserted that the "fabricated story" would be exposed sooner or later.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Saraswati alleged that criminals rule in Uttar Pradesh, level allegations and influence investigations, as he denied having any contact with the two persons for whose alleged sexual abuse he has been booked.
_vb_77.jpeg)
_vb_00.jpeg)
