Rabindranath Biswas
Diglipur, January 23: The residents of Sitanagar village of Diglipur Tehsil have been reportedly experiencing the travails due to the erratic water supply by the APWD, Diglipur in the area.
According to information, the dwellers of Ward Nos. 5,6 & 7 of Sitanagar village have been reportedly experiencing the problems owing to not getting the piped water from APWD, Diglipur for the last one and half month. The water is supplied to these people by tanker on alternative days and which is reportedly not sufficient, they alleged.
When asked about this water crisis, Mr. Biplob Mondal, Pradhan, Gram Panchayat Sitanagar, Diglipur told Andaman Sheekha that, this problem arose precisely because a pipeline of about 100 mtrs stretch which was removed by the agency engaged to construct NH in the area is yet to be laid/replaced. And this severance of pipeline rendered water-supply cut through pipe right from Sitanagar Panchayat Building area to the last Bijan Barrack and some interior parts falling under Ward Nos. 5,6 & 7 of Sitanagar village and resultantly the residents of this locality aren’t properly getting water, the Pradhan said.
In fact, the water supplied by the APWD in Ward Nos. 5,6 & 7 is through a tanker and that too on alternative days. Besides, the tanker supplies/fills the dwellers’ drums/containers kept by the roadside; and hence, the residents of the interior parts of the area who can’t take and carry the water from roadside to their residential houses which are situated interior side and are fairly away from the ATR/NH have been facing bigger problem, the Pradhan claimed.
Mr. Biplob has recently written to the Executing Engineer, CD, APWD, Diglipur pressing the demand for restoring the damaged/removed pipelines and regular water supply through public taps and individual water-taps in the area. The Pradhan further demanded in his letter to replace the pipes with larger diameter (in comparison to the existing ones) and also to increase the timing of the water-supply in the locality.
In response, the Executive Engineer updated the Pradhan with the information that the concerned agency responsible for laying the pipelines informed him (EE) that the required pipes are expected to be available this Wednesday (25/01/2023) and the agency shall start the pipe laying work from the following day itself and connect the severed pipeline of the 100 mtr stretch, Mr. Biplob Mondal further disclosed.
However, the January 29th deadline has been set by Mr. Biplob before which the water supply should be restored to normalcy with replacement of damaged and removed pipes and hiking of water-supply timing so that the residents in the area may get adequate clean drinking water under the Jal Jeevan Mission of the Central Govt., or else the Pradhan along with the villagers of Sitanagar Panchayat will resort to Chakka Jam/Dharna on NH4 on the 30th Jan 2023, he threatened.
