Spectre of water curtailment back in Andaman

Port Blair, Feb 26 (UNI) Weeks after the announcement of the Lt. Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands that there would not be any water crisis this year, the spectre of water curtailment is back again in the islands.

The PWD had advised the Port Blair Municipal Council (PBMC) that it should introduce curtailment as the water level in Dhanikhari Dam was fast receding. The PBMC was advised to supply water after every two days instead of alternate days at present.

The PBMC, however, objected to it and asked for sufficient time to inform the public in view of the fact that the administrator had been telling the people that there would not be any shortage of water this year.

In such a scenario, the PBMC would be seen as the villain that introduced curtailment in spite of assurances of the administrator, PBMC Chairman R Damodaran told reporters in Andaman.

He explained that they were seized of the matter and doing their best to ensure that the people did not suffer like last year.

However, he did not have any satisfactory reply when asked if they had managed to lessen the 35-40 per cent wastage of fresh treated water. Nevertheless, he assured to constitute a committee to monitor the supply and wastage through over flow on a war footing.

Andaman and Nicobar Islands were severely hit by water crisis last year due to less rainfall.

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