Port Blair, July 16: Due to poor rainfall during previous monsoon, severe drinking water shortages were felt in various places in A&N Islands, especially in South Andaman District. To mitigate the situation, an intensive exercise has been taken up by A&N Administration to identify the areas where water shortage was noticed during summer and augment water supply in those areas by developing local water sources in those areas itself.
Accordingly, potential water sources in those areas have been identified with the help of Hydro Geomorphic Maps, Drainage Map of the area and in consultation with Officials of Central Ground Water Boards. It has been planned to develop these identified potential water resources and develop them before next summer, so that future recurrence of such crisis can be prevented.
During this exercise, a total of 71 water sources were identified, among them, 57 sites were found to be feasible after joint survey by Revenue Officials, Panchayat Members and Engineers of the respective areas. The water sources include 16 Ponds, 23 Bore Wells, 2 Wells, 12 Check Weirs and 4 Reservoirs. Progress of these works is being monitored by the Chief Secretary, A&N Administration himself on weekly basis.
To keep tab on the progress of work, the Chief Secretary today inspected the progress of pond development work near IAF Station Port Mout, Badmash Pahar at Chouldari and New Bimblitan. At IAF Station, an abandoned Pond is being revived and developed into a larger pond by desilting and widening it. The excavated earth from this site is being used to develop another pond at Badmash Pahar by reclaiming a submerged land of about 12000 Sqm. and developing it into a pond to store rain water for using it during summer. On completion, these Ponds shall yield about 3.08 lakh ltrs of water per day, which is about 50% of water demand of the area. Similarly, at New Bimblitan, work is under progress to develop an abandoned quarry into a water reservoir to supplement water supply in Teylarabad area.
During the inspection, plan for completion of development work of newly identified ponds as well as status of work of integration of new sources with nearest Treatment Plant and existing completed Amrit Sarovars were also discussed. Strict direction has been issued to Officials of APWD to complete these works in timely manner to ensure that these ponds are ready to store rain water during remaining raining season and brought into use during summer.
It has also been directed to take up other works like bore wells and construction of check weirs immediately in the identified areas. Long term projects like Rutland Water Supply Phase-II, Bachra Pahar and Karupyaswamy Dam at Chouldari and Teylarabad respectively may also be expedited and completed within the next one year. Further, directions were also issued to take up identified new water supply scheme in other places on priority basis to ensure sustainable water supply in A&N Islands and protect public from future water shortage.