Dr. Dinesh
South Andaman’s recurring water shortages are no longer seasonal inconveniences; they are structural warnings. The falling water levels in Dhanikhari Dam, the principal freshwater source for Srivijayapuram and surrounding areas, should compel a shift from crisis management to long-term water security planning. The question is not whether Dhanikhari can continue to sustain South Andaman, but whether South Andaman can continue to depend so heavily on a reservoir built more than five decades ago.
Completed in 1973, Dhanikhari Dam remains the backbone of the region’s urban water supply, with an original storage capacity of about 5.19 million cubic metres. Over the decades, population growth, tourism expansion and changing rainfall patterns have increased demand, while reservoir sedimentation has likely reduced effective storage capacity. Reports of declining reservoir levels in recent years suggest that the margin of safety is becoming increasingly narrow.
The first and most cost-effective priority should be a scientific bathymetric survey to determine the extent of silt accumulation and the current live storage capacity of the reservoir. This is a relatively low-cost step compared to large infrastructure projects, yet it is essential for avoiding misdirected spending. If significant sedimentation is confirmed, a phased and targeted desilting programme should be planned, focusing first on high-impact zones rather than full-scale dredging. Alongside this, low-cost watershed measures such as check dams, contour trenches, slope stabilisation, and community-led afforestation can gradually reduce future silt inflow without heavy capital expenditure.
However, desilting alone will not solve South Andaman’s water challenge. The islands require a diversified but economically realistic water strategy. Large inter-Island transfer projects, such as bringing water from Hut Bay ( Little Andaman) by ship, and through Rutland Island, have already been explored and are being used as supplementary options, but they should still be treated as long-term, last-resort measures due to their high capital and maintenance costs. Before expanding such investments, the administration should prioritise strengthening existing systems and improving efficiency, as these offer far better returns per rupee spent.
A highly practical and low-cost intervention is making rainwater harvesting mandatory and enforceable in all new and existing large buildings, including government offices, schools, hotels, and commercial complexes. Given the high rainfall in the region, rooftop harvesting and simple storage tanks can significantly reduce dependence on the central supply system, especially during peak monsoon months. In fact, rainwater harvesting is already being implemented in several institutions and private buildings, but it needs wider coverage. Incentives such as property tax rebates can improve adoption without heavy enforcement costs.
Equally important is the reduction of non-revenue water through leak detection, pipeline repair, and basic pressure management. These are among the most cost-effective water-saving measures available. Even small improvements in distribution efficiency can save large volumes of treated water, reducing the need for expensive supply augmentation.
Instead of large upfront investments, a phased Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model can be used selectively for specific components such as leak detection systems, and small-scale desilting works. This reduces immediate financial burden on the government while allowing gradual infrastructure improvement. CSR funding can be effectively channelled into low-cost, high-impact activities such as watershed plantation, school rainwater harvesting systems, and community awareness programmes, which do not require heavy capital but deliver long-term benefits.
Technical collaboration with institutions like the Central Water Commission, National Institute of Hydrology, IITs, and island water experts should focus on low-cost, scalable solutions suited to small island systems rather than expensive, large-scale engineering interventions.
Dhanikhari should be managed as essential but economically constrained infrastructure. The focus must shift from capital-intensive expansion to efficiency, conservation, and incremental improvement. A combination of scientific assessment, phased desilting, mandatory rainwater harvesting, leakage reduction, and community-based watershed management offers the most financially sustainable path forward.
South Andaman still receives abundant rainfall. The real challenge is not scarcity of water, but inefficient storage, avoidable losses, and underutilised local solutions. Strengthening Dhanikhari through practical, cost-effective measures is far more urgent, and far more realistic, than waiting for large-scale projects to rescue the system later. In a recent order, the Calcutta High Court has directed the constitution of an expert committee to examine the island’s water crisis and recommend long-term solutions. The Court has also emphasised the need for coordinated institutional action and accountability in addressing the issue. These observations reinforce the urgency of moving beyond incremental fixes towards a structured and science-driven water management framework for the islands.