Tourists barred from going on road passing through Jarawa reserve

In the backdrop of the outrage over videos showing Jarawa women dancing before foreign visitors, tourists have been barred from going on Andaman Trunk Road that passes through Jarawa tribal reserve in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, official sources said here today.

A nodal officer has been designated to monitor day-to-day activities on the Andaman Trunk Road, the sources said.

The number of convoys passing on the road has also been reduced from eight to four on each side, they said.

The staff members of the tribal welfare department and Andaman Adim Janjati Vikas Samiti posted in the Jarawa Reserve were also asked to keep a vigil on convoys passing through the reserve.

In January this year, video footage of Jarawa women dancing for tourists had appeared in the electronic media, triggering an outrage.

A police constable was suspended following his identification for his role in the episode.