Why can’t Administration provide construction materials to NHPC??’
Bureau Report
Port Blair, Mar 25: The ambitious project of raising Dhanikari Dam has become a mirage for Islanders as the project is getting delayed for various reasons. This delay will not only result in water crisis in 2013 but also cause indirect financial loss to tax payers.
At present the work for raising height of Dhanikari Dam has been halted due to severe shortage of construction materials. The saddest part of the story is though 65 percent of work has been already completed by the NHPC is struck as aggregates are not available to carry out further works.
According to sources at present NHPC needs only 10,000 cu mtrs of aggregates and if this quantity is supplied by Administration now, the work will probably be completed before this monsoon.
Though in the contracts there is no such clause to provide aggregates to NHPC by APWD but experts believe that considering the importance of the project for people of South Andaman, the Administration must press APWD to provide aggregates to NHPC on priority so that the ambitious project is completed well on time.
“Every year APWD uses 2 to 3 lakhs cu mtrs of aggregates for various projects and supply 10,000 cu mtrs of aggregates should not be a big deal for the APWD. This is just a matter of attitude,” an expert told Andaman Sheekha.
As it is known that no department goes out of the way to help other department, intervention of the Lt. Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, in this matter will help NHPC to get 10,000 cu mtr of aggregates on priority.
“Delay in work means loss to NHPC, which will be inturn recovered from APWD by NHPC. The extra amount, which will be ultimately paid to NHPC, will be actually hard earned money of tax payers and hence the Administration must work as catalyst to solve the crisis immediately and help in saving tax payers money,” the expert added.
