By Shradha M
Sri Vijaya Puram, April: Visitors to the scenic Mount Manipur, formerly known as Mount Harriet, a well-known tourist attraction in the Andaman Islands, often pass by the red-bricked ruins at Panighat, near Bambooflat, without knowing their significance. These weathered remnants hold a forgotten chapter of history, the Panighat Aqueduct, a colonial-era marvel that once supplied fresh water to ships. The name Panighat itself comes from this very aqueduct, with pani meaning water and ghat referring to a landing point, marking the spot where water from the hills was brought down to the sea. While similar structures worldwide have been restored and preserved as heritage sites, this relic of Andaman’s past is quietly crumbling away.
Aqueducts, designed to transport water across valleys and gaps, have historically played a crucial role in alleviating water shortages, especially in drought-stricken regions. The Panighat Aqueduct, constructed with red bricks and lime mortar, was essential to the area’s water supply system. Built by the British, it efficiently channeled water from the foothills of the then Mount Harriet to the Panighat Jetty using a gravity-fed system, requiring no external power. The structure, approximately 150 meters long, 60 cm wide, and 45 cm deep, once stood proudly on an arched framework, ensuring a steady water supply to British naval vessels and island settlements.
However, time and natural calamities have taken a toll. The powerful 1941 earthquake left the aqueduct severely damaged, and the devastating 2004 tsunami destroyed nearly 30 meters of the structure. Today, the aqueduct is a shadow of its former self, hidden beneath dense foliage and encroaching development. Unlike its counterparts in other parts of India and the world, such as the Roman aqueducts of Segovia in Spain or the Mathur Aqueduct (also known as the Mathur Hanging Bridge or Mathur Thottipalam), which is still in use, carrying water from the Pattanamkal Canal for irrigation and now a popular tourist attraction in Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu, Panighat’s waterway remains abandoned and neglected.
“This aqueduct is a part of our islands’ history and should be preserved like other heritage sites,” said Rashida, the local Panchayat Pradhan, expressing frustration over the lack of preservation efforts. “A few more years, and the remaining remnants will disappear permanently.”
Ali, a longtime resident of the area, echoed these concerns. “My grandfather saw this aqueduct supplying water to ships in the old days. Today, it’s just a forgotten ruin, ignored by all. This remarkable remnant of Andaman’s colonial water infrastructure will soon vanish, erasing an important chapter of history,” he recalled.
While heritage conservation efforts around the world ensure the protection of historical aqueducts, the Panighat Aqueduct is slipping into oblivion. Without urgent intervention, Andaman will lose yet another irreplaceable piece of its history, lost not to war or disaster, but to sheer neglect.
