Trinath & Vikramaditya
Mayabunder, Mar. 27: The Deputy Commissioner of North and Middle Andaman, Mrs. Nandini Maharaj, highlighted significant steps being taken to address two critical issues faced by the district — water scarcity and shortage of specialist doctors.
Talking to Andaman Sheekha Daily, the Deputy Commissioner acknowledged that water scarcity has been a persistent issue, particularly in the Mayabunder region. “The water problem in North and Middle Andaman is concentrated mostly in the Mayabunder area,” she said. To address this, the administration conducted a village-wise and source-wise study to identify the most affected areas and the status of existing water sources.
Mrs. Maharaj shared that the administration has already prepared estimates and sanctioned projects for creating new water sources and connecting them via pipelines. “After many years of effort, we have successfully tapped an additional water source at Birsa Nallah, Mayabunder. This has been a major achievement for both the PWD and the District Administration,” she said.
The administration, on an immediate basis, acted swiftly by deploying the Superintendent Engineer for an extensive field visit, who identified the Birsa Nallah as a feasible water source. Within a week, water from Birsa Nallah was connected through pipelines and supplemented the existing water supply from Korag Nallah. “This immediate intervention has allowed us to balance water distribution more equitably across the supply chain, and we are fully prepared for the upcoming dry months of April and May,” she assured.
In addition to short-term measures, the district has also prepared mid-term and long-term plans to improve water augmentation and management for the next 30 years, covering Mayabunder, Diglipur, and Rangat. These plans have already been approved at the village and district levels and have been forwarded to the state committee under the Jal Jeevan Mission. “Water management is a top priority for the district,” Mrs. Maharaj stressed.
On the health front, the Deputy Commissioner expressed satisfaction over the recent posting of seven specialist doctors in North and Middle Andaman, which had been a long-standing demand of the people. “The entire district is grateful to the Health Secretariat for fulfilling this critical requirement,” she said.
Mrs. Maharaj also noted that severe acute malnutrition has been successfully eliminated from Rangat subdivision and is on the verge of being eradicated in Mayabunder and Diglipur as well. She credited the achievement to the leadership of previous Deputy Commissioners and Chief Secretaries who implemented the ‘Malnutrition-Free India’ initiative.
Further, the district has plans to advertise 28 vacant health posts under the District Health Society soon. “While we understand that improving healthcare will take time, especially with specialist doctors and equipment coming gradually, we have already started focusing on preventive healthcare,” she added, citing recent initiatives like the district’s participation in World Tuberculosis Day and the TB-Free India campaign.
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