John Wilbert &Vikramaditya
Port Blair, Feb 12: The residents of North and Middle Andaman are facing a difficult time due to the ongoing construction of the National Highway (NH4). The once green and peaceful environment of the region has been transformed into a hazardous zone, posing a threat to the health of its inhabitants, including children, elderly members, and expectant mothers.
The contract agency working on the construction of the road from Nimbutala to Austin Creek has been accused of working only 8 to 10 meters a day, at their own discretion. Despite repeated attempts by the citizens to bring this to the attention of the project manager and general manager of the National Highway Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) at Mayabunder, their concerns have gone unheeded. According to villagers the work is going on too slow and due to the delay people of the concerned region are forced to live inside a cloud of dust.
According to villagers, the dust pollution created by the construction has resulted in various respiratory and skin problems among the residents, including irritation, sneezing, coughing, headache, allergy, skin inflammation, burning sensations in the nose and eyes, and more. This has made it difficult for the citizens to send their children to school and engage in their daily activities.
Pradhan of the Gram Panchayat Swadesh Nagar, Debabrata Das, has written a letter to the President of India in this regard seeking intervention in the matter. The letter requests the early completion of the road work to restore the green environment of the region and ensure the right to life of the citizens.
The residents of North and Middle Andaman hope that their concerns will be addressed at the earliest, and that the hazardous conditions created by the ongoing construction will be resolved soon.
