CleanupBot II at 08:29, 14 August 2023

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{{Infobox islands
| name = Katchal Island
| native_name = तिहन्यु
| native_name_link = Nicobarese languages
| native_name_lang =
| sobriquet = Tihanyu
| image_name =
| image_size =
| image_caption =
| image_alt =
| map = India Andaman and Nicobar Islands
| map_alt =
| map_width =
| map_caption =
| coordinates = {{coord|7.95|N|93.38|E|region:IN-AN_type:isle_dim:50000_source:GNS-enwiki|display=inline,title}}
| etymology =
| location = [[Bay of Bengal]]
| archipelago = [[Nicobar Islands]]
| waterbody = [[Indian Ocean]]
| total_islands = 1
| major_islands = {{hlist|Katchal Island}}
| area_km2 = 146.5
| area_footnotes = <ref name="cit">{{cite web|url=http://andssw1.and.nic.in/ecostat/basicstatPDF2013_14/1.Demogrpahy.pdf|title=Islandwise Area and Population - 2011 Census|publisher=Government of Andaman}}</ref>
| rank =
| length_km = 17
| width_km = 16
| coastline_km = 83.3
| elevation_m = 227
| elevation_footnotes = <ref name=nga>{{cite enroute|173|2017|293}}</ref>
| country = {{flag|India}}
| country_admin_divisions_title = [[List of districts in India#Andaman and Nicobar (AN)|District]]
| country_admin_divisions = [[Nicobar district|Nicobar]]
| country_admin_divisions_title_1 = [[Island group]]
| country_admin_divisions_1 = [[Nicobar Islands]]
| country_admin_divisions_title_2 = [[Subdivisions of India]]
| country_admin_divisions_2 = [[Nancowry Subdivision]]
| country_admin_divisions_title_3 = [[Tehsils of India|Taluk]]
| country_admin_divisions_3 =
| country_largest_city = [[Mildera]]
| country_largest_city_population = 1250
| population = 2685
| population_as_of = 2011
| population_footnotes =
| population_rank =
| population_rank_max =
| density_km2 = 18.3
| density_rank =
| density_footnotes =
| ethnic_groups = [[Hindu]], [[Nicobarese people|Nicobarese]]
| timezone1 = [[Indian Standard Time|IST]]
| utc_offset1 = +5:30
| timezone1_DST =
| utc_offset1_DST =
| postal_code_type = [[Postal Index Number|PIN]]
| postal_code = 744301
| area_code_type = Telephone code
| area_code = 03192
| website = {{URL|http://www.and.nic.in/}}
| iso_code_type = [[ISO 3166-2:IN|ISO code]]
| iso_code = IN-AN-00<ref>Registration Plate Numbers added to ISO Code</ref>
|additional_info = {{Infobox|child=yes
| label2 = Literacy | data2 = 84.4%
| label3 = Avg. summer temperature| data3 ={{convert|32.0|°C|°F}}
| label4 = Avg. winter temperature| data4 ={{convert|28.0|°C|°F}}
| label5 = [[Human sex ratio|Sex ratio]]| data5 =[[male|♂]]/[[female|♀]]
| label7 = Census Code| data7 = 35.638.0002
| label8 = Official Languages| data8 = [[Hindi language|Hindi]], [[English language|English]], [[Tamil language|Tamil]] <br /> [[Katchal language|Katchal]] (regional)
}}
}}

'''Katchal''' ([[Hindi]]: कत्चल, [[Nicobarese languages|Nicobarese]]: तिहन्यु, ''Tihnyu'') is one of the [[Nicobar Islands]], [[India]].

==History==
Katchal Island was previously known as Tihanyu.
Due to the remote location and lack of exposure with the rest of the world, outsiders economically exploited the innocent islanders for a long time. To stop their economic exploitation, the Government of India declared the Nicobar Islands an Aboriginal Tribal Reserve Area (ATRA) on 2 April 1957. This made the Nicobar Islands inaccessible to outsiders and currently even Indian nationals need a special tribal pass to visit the islands. Only Government Servants (outsiders) posted to Katchal Islands are allowed to stay in the island.

[[Nicobar Islands]] have experienced all kinds of external influences for centuries, because they are located along an ancient international sea trade route and have been known to voyagers and scholars since ancient times. Due to this, the islands have been receiving external influences, which have affected their culture and race over the centuries. According to recent history, an archeological inscription dating to AD 1059 says that [[Nicobar Islands|Nicobar]] was part of the overseas kingdom of Tamil [[Chola]] King of [[Tanjore]]. In 1869, the [[United Kingdom|British]] took possession of the Nicobar Islands from the [[Denmark|Danes]] and made them a part of modern India.

At sunrise on 1 January 2000, Katchal Island was in the news. Many voyagers had converged on it for a glimpse of the millennium's first sunrise.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/2000/20000102/main4.htm |title=Millennium sunrise eludes Katchal island |publisher=[[The Tribune]] |date=2 January 2000 |author=Gautam Singh |access-date= 31 October 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.mintageworld.com/media/detail/706-stamp-featuring-1st-sunrise-of-the-millennium/ |title=Stamp Featuring 1st Sunrise of the Millennium |access-date= 31 October 2021}}</ref>

Katchal was one of the worst affected islands during the [[2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami|December 26th 2004 Tsunami]]. The tsunami devastated the Island, disturbing the socio-economic set-up of its inhabitants. Of the 5,000 people missing (5000 is official - actual is more) in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, 1,549 were believed to be from Katchal.

To support the local population a sizable number of Govt. Staffs were posted to this Island prior to the [[Tsunami]] day. Most of the staff went missing as majority of the Govt. provided Staff Quarters were situated very close to the sea shore and a very few managed to escape to the nearby hill. To cite an example - not a single teacher out of 47 posted here prior on 26-11-2004 was found alive.

Some people managed to escape the waters by clinging over to [[coconut]] tree tops. Of the 344 people reported dead, only one body could be identified. Either the bodies were decomposed beyond recognition or there were no survivors to claim them.<ref>[http://www.riteshmandal.com/post_tsunami1.htm Life as Medical Officer @ Katchal-Post Tsunami] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.is/20130104135644/http://www.riteshmandal.com/post_tsunami1.htm |date=2013-01-04 }}</ref>

==Geography==
Its area is {{convert|146.5|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}.
It is approximately {{convert|1,600|km|mi|abbr=on}} away from mainland (India) and {{convert|305|km|mi|abbr=on}} south to capital [[Port Blair]].
The highest peak of Katchal is {{convert|227|m|abbr=on}} high.<ref name=nga />
The hills of Katchal are composed of [[calcareous]] [[sandstone]] and [[marble]] slates, and in the [[tropical forest]] of Katchal there are many [[Pythonidae|pythons]], black [[monkeys]] and [[pigs]].

==Demography==
Katchal Island is home to both indigenous and non-indigenous people.
Katchal is inhabited by Nicobari Tribes and Migrated [[Tamils|Tamilians]] (For Rubber plantation workers under [[Sastri-Srimao Bandaranayaka Pact]] of 1964).
After the tsunami almost all the tribal chiefs and their heirs were killed, leaving the tribes virtually headless.
Katchal is the largest island of the central group of islands and had 35 villages (of which six were main villages). After the tsunami, the natives regrouped and formed five tribal villages in the island viz. [[E-Wall]], [[Meenakshi Ram Nagar]], [[Japan Tikri|Japan Tikrey]], [[Sallo Tikrey]], and [[Upper Katchal]]. [[Mildera]] is another village in the island inhabited by non tribal people (Tamil repatriates and Ranchi communities).<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110927142747/http://www.and.nic.in/shelterP/katchalmap.htm Kathchal Map]</ref>
Languages spoken in Katchal are [[Nicobarese languages|Nicobarese]], [[Hindi]], [[Tamil language|Tamil]], [[Telugu language|Telugu]] and [[Santali language|Santali]].

==Administration==
Katchal Island belongs to the [[Subdivisions of India|township]] of [[Nancowry subdivision|Nancowry]] of [[Katchal tehsil]].<ref>[http://andssw1.and.nic.in/ecostat/basicstatPDF2013_14/1.Demogrpahy.pdf Tehsils]</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.and.nic.in/ |title=Andaman & Nicobar Administration Web site |access-date=2008-03-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181213232827/http://www.and.nic.in/ |archive-date=2018-12-13 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
The Island is not open to tourists and special permission is required from the local administration at Port Blair.

==Facilities==
These are the facilities on the island:
'''Health''':
Primary Health Center: 1
Secondary Health Center: 3
'''Education''':
Primary School - 6 ( Kindergarten to 5th Standard),
Middle School - 2 ( 6th to 8th Standard),
Senior Secondary School - 1 (11th to 12th Standard)
'''Govt.''':
Water supply is adequate and sufficient.
Power station which is electrified and has plans to augment the DG (Diesel Generators) capacity at Katchal Islands by 3x128 KW DG Sets.
9 km of roads (Pucca road).
Police Station:1<ref>[http://police.and.nic.in/katchal.htm Katchal] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090409231453/http://police.and.nic.in/katchal.htm |date=2009-04-09 }}</ref>
Jetty: 1, A Berthable Jetty at [[Nirma Nagar]]
Communication: Wireless Local Loop Phones and PSTN phones. Mobile phone signal strength is currently very low.
Information Technology: Connected by VSAT under E-Governance project of A & N Administration for speeding up the developmental works and effective monitoring.

==Economics==
According to initial estimates, 112 hectares (277 acres) of land has been rendered useless due to salination after the tsunami, and 3.54 lakh coconut and an equal number of Supari (betel nut) trees destroyed.
Currently, The villagers are engaged in coconut, [[betelnut]] and [[arecanut]] trade. In 1968, rubber plantation and subsequently red oil palm plantation were established here.

==Flora and fauna==
'''Birds found:'''

*[[White-rumped munia]]
*[[Indian white-eye]]
*[[Red-whiskered bulbul]]
*Orange thrush
*[[Grey wagtail]]
*[[Purple-rumped sunbird]]
*Asian paradise flycatcher
*[[Emerald dove]]
*[[White-breasted sea eagle]]
*[[Pied triller]]
*[[Shikra]]
*[[Long-tailed parakeet]]
*[[White-collared kingfisher]]
*[[Black-naped oriole]]
*[[Black-naped monarch]]
*[[Brown shrike]]
*[[Pied imperial pigeon]]
*[[Pacific reef egret]]
*[[Plume-toed swiftlet]]
*[[Andaman green pigeon]]

==Image gallery==
<gallery widths=180>
File:Map of Nicobar Islands-en.png|Map
File:KatchalIslandMap.jpg|1990 Map of Katchal Island
</gallery>

== References ==
{{reflist|2}}

*{{wikivoyage-inline|Andaman and Nicobar Islands}}
{{Nicobar district |state=collapsed}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Katchal Island}}
[[Category:Tehsils of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands|Teressa Taluk]]
[[Category:Islands of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands]]
[[Category:Nicobar district]]
[[Category:Nicobar Islands]]

Katchal Island - Revision history

CleanupBot II at 08:29, 14 August 2023