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karatecatman Guest
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Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2007 1:56 pm Post subject: Andamans tap WWII wells amidst water shortage |
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Reuters
Indian islands tap WWII wells amid water shortage By Sanjib Kumar Roy
PORT BLAIR, India, March 23 (Reuters) - Water shortages are forcing authorities in India’s remote Andaman Islands to tap dozens of World War II wells as the tourist destination struggles to cope with an influx of visitors, officials said on Friday.
The return of tourism after the 2004 tsunami, combined with a lack of rain, has caused severe shortages in the archipelago, located about 1,200 km (750 miles) east of the Indian mainland, officials said.
‘‘Increasing tourists are definitely causing more shortages and we have asked all agencies to look for alternative sources of water, including wells,’’ Krishna Sharan Singh, chief of the islands’ disaster management unit, said in Port Blair.
Authorities are rationing water and cleaning old wells dug by Japanese forces in the mid-1940s, but many people think this is only a temporary solution.
‘‘Every year we face the same problem but no one seems to be learning,’’ said Samir Acharya, secretary of the Society for Andaman and Nicobar Ecology, a local environmental group.
‘‘There is an urgent need to build water reservoirs and plan water harvesting as tourism is back in Andamans,’’ Acharya said in the islands’ capital Port Blair.
Local residents also complain about the lack of planning.
‘‘Even if we harness two percent of rain water every year, we should do fine,’’ said Govind Raju, an author.
At least 191 wells were dug by the Japanese military during their occupation of the archipelago between 1942 and 1945, officials said, adding they are still in good condition.
The Andamans were badly hit by the December 26, 2004 tsunami with more than 3,500 people killed and nearly 40,000 displaced.
It also hit tourism with only around 32,000 tourists visiting the Andamans in 2005, officials said. But tourism was booming now, with over 118,000 tourists visiting last year.
The archipelago is famous for its pristine beaches, coral reefs and sparking sands lapped by the emerald waters of the Indian Ocean. REUTERS
Hope we dont go and destroy these also. |
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Nimish Member
Joined: 16 Dec 2006 Posts: 9757 Location: Bangalore, India
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Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2007 3:06 pm Post subject: |
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The govt/administration needs to wake up and take up water harvesting and invest in storage capacity. Otherwise it's going to be the same story every year. |
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stealthpilot Member
Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 2325 Location: BLR, DXB
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Posted: Sat Mar 24, 2007 9:34 am Post subject: |
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Tourism is the main hope for the island..... They better start getting prepared.
Keep an eye on the weeks ahead, not the ones that past. _________________ eP007 |
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HAWK21M Member
Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 8132 Location: Mumbai, INDIA
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Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2007 5:39 pm Post subject: |
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Time bound,Advance planning is the solution.Pity its not very common out here
regds
MEL _________________ Think of the Brighter side !!! |
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