John Wilbert & Sarthak Kanjilall
Port Blair, June 23: Residents of South Andaman might witness normal supply of water through Dhanikhari Dam, once the water level rises to nearly 04 meters more, sources in APWD told Andaman Sheekha today.
Although senior officers of APWD were unavailable for a comment but highly placed sources in the Andaman Public Works Department said that with continuous rains since the last few weeks, there is a rise in the water level at Dhanikhari Dam. “Presently, the water level in the Dam is nearly 47 meters, and if it reaches to 51-52 meters, the gravity flow will start as a result of which the APWD will be able to restore the supply to normal,” claimed the source.
Andaman Sheekha has also learned that the APWD has already stopped pumping the water from Rut Island following the continuous rains and there is no further curtailment from the side of APWD.
Though the supply on date in the Municipal area remains 08 million liters per day but with a few more days of continuous downpour if there is a rise of nearly 04 meters more in the Dhanikhari Dam, the APWD will start releasing 29 million liters of water a day, which will come as a big relief for the residents of the region.
However, talking to Andaman Sheekha, the Chairperson, Port Blair Municipal Council, Mr. Udhaya Kumar said that until and unless the water level in Dhanikhari Dam reaches 52 meters, water supply cannot be restored to normal.
Although APWD claims to supply 8 MLD water to PBMC the PBMC says that council is receiving only 3 MLD water supply from Dhanikhari Dam.
“Once we start getting the supply to at least 15 MLD, there won’t be any water curtailment,” said Mr. Udhaya Kumar.
Mr. Udhaya Kumar further said that few sources of water in Gandhi Park, Birchgunj, Birdline, Beodnabad and Dollygunj have sufficient water and hence, the water is supplied in these areas every 04-05 days other areas will continue to face the water issues until the water is supplied is supplied in sufficient quantity from Dhanikhari Dam.
“Everything now depends on the rain,” The Chairperson added.
