Vikramaditya
Port Blair, Feb 06: For the past two to three months, residents of Corbyn Junction and Garacharma in Port Blair have been witnessing huge water leakages, shedding light on the Authorities’ apparent disregard for water management and conservation efforts.
Upon receiving reports from concerned citizens, the Andaman Sheekha team promptly investigated the situation. They discovered a substantial leak from a pipeline resembling a fountain, with water cascading into a nearby nallah connecting New Pahargaon to the coastline near Corbyn’s Cove.
Local shop owners corroborated these findings, stating that the leak has persisted for nearly two months. Despite multiple complaints, PBMC has yet to dispatch personnel to address the issue. “Initially, the flow was minimal, but now the wastage is alarming. Several truckloads of water are squandered daily,” remarked a resident of the area. However there were many people who had no knowledge about any phone number where they could lodge a complaint in this regard while there were many who were not sure whether the pipelines belong to PBMC or APWD.
“It doesn’t matter which pipeline belongs to which department. Any complaints regarding leakage must be dealt with immediately after all every department works under the umbrella of A & N Administration,” said an old resident.
The problem extends beyond Corbyn Junction, as similar leakages have been observed in Garacharma over the past three months. Residents estimate that thousands of litres of water are lost daily due to these leaks.
These incidents underscore the apparent lack of commitment from PBMC officials to water conservation and highlight deficiencies in the council’s complaint resolution mechanisms.
Port Blair faces recurring water crises between February and May each year, sometimes necessitating water rationing every seven days. Despite these challenges, PBMC appears to have failed to learn from past experiences.
Rough estimates indicate that approximately 30 percent of water is lost in the distribution network. Addressing this issue could significantly mitigate the annual water shortage problem, underscoring the urgent need for proactive measures from PBMC to ensure efficient water management and conservation.
Residents of both the areas are now demanding that the Secretary of PBMC must pay a visit to the sites to witness how unprofessionally the water distribution network is managed by officials, which is ultimately leading to water crisis.
