Staff Reporter
Port Blair, Mar 22: Large-scale extraction of earth inside the Airport Campus, close to New Pahargaon area continues unabated even as a major landslide hit the region barely two months ago. According to reports, the earth extraction work is being executed by the Airport Authority of India for installation of some devices for the airport. But the dangerous work has made the region vulnerable to a major landslide.
Residents of the area fear that the first rain will bring disaster for them.
On the 11th of January this year, a huge chunk of New Pahargaon road subsided towards the airport due to the earth extraction work leaving huge cracks on the road surface. While cracks were visible, authorities concerned didn’t bother to take precautionary measures causing the landslide. About 20 mtrs of the road bed and the entire left portion of the road stretch slid towards the runaway. While no one suffered any injuries in the accident as no vehicles were present on the road, the major mudslide could have entirely shutdown the operations of the lone airport here.
According to reports the Airport Authority of India is digging out earth from the area just opposite to Sapna Theatre, which resulted in this incident. The earth extracted from the area is being used to fill the marshy area behind INS Utkrosh office buildings.
Swinging into action, the Andaman Public Works Department blocked the road for repair works. Within a week after completion of the repair works, the road was reopened for traffic work. However, the earth extraction works have left residents of New Pahargaon in panic.
“The government agency has learnt no lessons from the January landslide, it appears. The landslide could have left many injured had there been any traffic movement on the road stretch at the time of the accident. Residents here suffered due to the road closure for nearly a week and it was expected that the earth extraction work would be stopped to prevent such accidents in future. But to the dismay of the public, no administrative action has been taken to stop the hazardous work here,” say some residents of New Pahargaon.
As per fresh reports the New Pahargaon Raod is developing fresh cracks every other day and the APWD is filling the cracks on day to day basis. Not only this, fresh cracks have also developed around a Temple and near Sapna theatre building it is learnt.
“It seems until and unless someone dies, the Administration won’t take any strong action,” said another resident of the area.
It is learnt that the DC office had sent a letter to the AAI in this regard but no action was taken from the other side infact DC office was told that the work has stopped but it didn’t.
When Andaman Sheekha team went to meet the in-charge of AAI at Port Blair, he refused to talk to media in this regard.
It is learnt that the DC office is also sending another strong letter in this regard seeking explanation from AAI that how without talking necessary safety measure the work is being executed.
Meanwhile, a senior level team of Andaman and Nicobar Administration visited the New Pahargaon area and Airport area with Engineering incharge or Airport Authority of India and registered serious objection against the risking earth extraction work, being carried out inside the Airport.
