Sri Vijaya Puram, Oct. 11: As part of its ongoing public awareness campaign to promote water conservation and the sustainable use of water resources, the Public Health Engineering Division (PHED) of the Andaman Public Works Department (APWD) is conducting a series of awareness programmes across the islands to encourage the judicious use of water and strengthen community participation in water conservation.
On October 10, 2026, the department organised a series of Nukkad Nataks (street plays) at key public locations, including Bathu Basti, Burma Nallah and Manglutan. Through engaging performances and public interaction, the programmes highlighted the importance of conserving water in everyday life, preventing unnecessary wastage, adopting rainwater harvesting practices and promoting groundwater recharge to protect the islands’ fragile freshwater ecosystem.
The awareness programmes witnessed active participation from members of the public and Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs). At Bathubasti, the local Ward Councillor attended the programme, while at Manglutan, the local Gram Pradhans and other public representatives joined departmental officials in spreading the message of responsible water management and community-led conservation.
In view of the limited rainfall received, APWD has appealed to the general public to use water judiciously and avoid its unnecessary wastage. Residents have been urged to adopt simple yet effective water-saving practices, such as turning off taps when not in use, repairing leaking taps and pipelines promptly, reusing water wherever feasible and ensuring that water is not wasted during household activities.
Department has also emphasised the importance of rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge as sustainable measures to improve water availability, particularly during periods of inadequate rainfall. Citizens have been encouraged to promptly report pipeline leakages to the concerned authorities so that timely repairs can be undertaken and valuable water resources can be saved.
APWD has expressed its sincere appreciation to responsible citizens who actively report leakages and cooperate with the Department in its efforts to conserve water. The Department reiterated that water conservation is a collective responsibility and that the active participation of every household and community is essential to ensure the sustainable availability of this precious resource.
APWD will continue its public awareness campaign in the coming weeks through further outreach programmes targeting households and community centres across the islands. These initiatives aim to strengthen public awareness, encourage responsible water-use habits and foster a culture of water conservation among all sections of society.