Serendipity : Musings of an Islander

Aqueduct at Panighat, South Andaman : Story of a Forgotten Archaeological Legacy By Debkumar Bhadra Panighat, located about 4 km from Bambooflat Jetty in South Andaman at the foothills of Mount Harriet, now known as Mount Manipur, is a small settlement with a layered past. While the site is historically associated with the assassination of Lord Mayo by Sher Ali Khan on 8 February 1872, it holds another, lesser-known yet remarkable legacy - a British-era aqueduct system that defines the area’s identity and utility. The very name Panighat (literally “water point”) owes its origin to the forgotten, gravity-driven water transport system. This article traces the story of this rare water infrastructure, which once sustained maritime activity in the region but now lies in ruins, awaiting attention and conservation in equal measures. A Rare Archaeological/Engineering Legacy and its Decline The aqueduct at Panighat was designed by the British empire to transport freshwater from a...

Vast separation of the A ndaman and N icobar group of islands from mainland India by sea, its unique biological wealth, strategic location and the fact that these islands are home for six Primitive Aboriginal Tribes, instilled awe from all quarters of the world. The islands ecosystem is unique, fragile, biodiversity is rich and endemism is high, hence utilization of the islands natural resources are restricted by various regulatory mechanisms. Owing to limited resources, environmental constraints and obvious compulsions, the islands are depending on mainland India for almost anything to everything from essential commodities such as food, clothing and shelter material to health care facilities and services. Large ships facilitate movement of these essential commodities between mainland and P ort B lair ports. Once the bulk cargo meant for the entire population of A&N I sland lands at Port Blair, small to medium capacity boats ferry these essential commodities by sea rout...