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Time to revive ‘wells’ in A&N Islands



TMI Correspondent
Port Blair, Sept 18: Total dependency of tap water leads to extinct the ring well resources in the modern era. But, when any natural disaster like earthquake hits the islands, people use to rush to wells or ponds for whatsoever water.
Islanders can remember the 2004's earthquake, when water supply had been suspended for a couple of weeks due to pipelines damaged in tremor. People used to seek and rush to every available well in urban areas to manage the requirement of water at households. Anyhow, the PBMC and APWD supplied limited drinkable water through water tankers at different parts in urban areas during December 2004 earthquake in the A&N Islands, till the rectification of pipelines.
As per a research in South Andaman, it has come to know that during British era about 9000 wells were constructed with the provision of 10 wells to each village. After Independence also, proper maintenance continued and approved subsidies for construction new ring wells, then.
But, now after 73 years of Independence, the increase and influx of population brought the congestion state, where now, space not left even to walk two persons at one go in colonies, how come wells survive? The number of wells is now reduced to about 1600, which can be put in use and maintain by PBMC to keep them revival.
As per another research, it is also came to know through reliable sources that, the well water in urban areas in South Andaman are found unhygienic and not safe for utilities, because well aquifers through layers of rock and soil with water flowing through their small pores from under earth's surface. Consequently, due to dense population in urban areas the wells tend to produce unhygienic water.
However, under the ongoing Jal Shakti Abhiyan, if efforts are made to revival of wells in A&N Islands, partially water conservation will be come into force.

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