Sarthak Kanjilall
Port Blair, July 08: Because of scanty rainfall over these Islands, the Port Blair Municipal Council is presently facing huge challenges to ensure supply of water to every nook and corner of Port Blair city. However, the PBMC to officials of PBMC believe that situation wouldn’t have gone that bad if the proposed 07 MLD Desalination plant of PBMC was given a green signal by the Administration.
Not much deeply but to an extent, Mr. Udhaya Kumar, Chairperson, PBMC has highlighted the matter of the proposal of 07 MLD desalination plant yesterday in his recent tweet, where he tried to convey the aforesaid message.
However, Andaman Sheekha tried to go into deep and spoke to Mr. Udhaya Kumar in this regard. Talking to Andaman Sheekha Mr. Udhaya Kumar said that several years ago, the PBMC had first proposed the administration for a 14 MLD desalination plant, which was not accepted by the administration for reasons unknown, again 03 years ago, the PBMC proposed for a 07 MLD desalination plant under smart city mission and again, for reasons unknown, the administration did not give any nod to the project.
“If the said plan was given a nod 03 years ago then today the situation would have something else. In coming future we need major desalination plant,” Mr. Kumar added.
At present the PBMC requires nearly 15 MLD of water and a supply of 7 MLD water from desalination plant would have been a great boost to the PBMC.
Sadly Administration is silent regarding these projects and it has becoming increasingly difficult even for media person to get an appointment of senior level officers in Administration for getting a comment on developmental issues.
The former Member of Parliament of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Mr. Bishnu Pada Ray recently told Andaman Sheekha that the proposed 14 MLD Desalination Plant issue was raised by him also in IDA meeting in 2006. He said that the matter of Desalination Plant under smart city was also raised by him in recent past but nothing has happened on the ground.
“There are many pending water projects in Andaman but that remain only in the files of APWD. The Administration must consult with PRI members in such crucial issues,” Mr. Ray said.
