Mohammed Sajid
Port Blair, April 15: Water is the most essential commodity required for sustaining life but the residents of the Ograbraj area are deprived of the same because of the negligence of the officials of the Zilla Parishad.
The rise in the temperatures have brought down the level of water in
all dams, nallahs and perennial sources in these Islands because of which the residents of all areas are suffering. Earlier the residents of Ograbraj used to think that they are fortunate enough to have a perennial source in this crisis hit time too but the negligence of the Zilla Parishad have made life utterly difficult for them.
Zilla Parishad is the responsible authority for providing water supply in the village but the pipe lines of the department have hundreds of leakages and are a decade old which is causing a lot of problems in this scorching sunny days.
The villagers got the last supply of water on 8th of April which lasted for ten minutes and after that the water was supplied today after the villagers pressurized the officials and Andaman Sheekha called up the Executive Engineer to enquire about the matter.
Meanwhile Andaman Sheekha team visited the village and saw the condition of the pipelines. It is shocking to see that the pipeline seemed to be made out of rubber because almost every part of these pipes one can see rubber stripes tied around to stop the water leakage. Perhaps demonstration of stone-age technology.
The villagers informed that the Zilla Parishad officials informed them that there is a lack of fund with the department that’s why they are unable to repair the pipelines but when Andaman Sheekha contacted the Executive Engineer of the Zilla Parishad Division of the area he informed us that the survey is going on the pipe line is too weak because of its age. When we questioned him on funds he kept quit.
The silence of the executive engineer speaks a thousand words. Mean while residents of the area allege that there is something fishy in this entire episode of pipe purchase and repair.
The Administration must matter and bring justice to the people of the area by restoring the water supply that is affected because of the old and unrepaired pipelines.
