Crisis of drinking water, road blockade by residents of Purba Kalabaria village , withdrawn after ‘Pradhan’s assurance

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, May 1, 2026

Despite ostensible success in implementation of ‘Jal Jeevan Mission’, crisis of drinking and irrigation water continues in many parts of the state. The situation is so serious that residents of Purba Kalabaria village under Belonia subdivision this morning organized an hourlong blockade on the Belonia Santir Bazar road to protest against total disruption of drinking water supply in their village over the past ten days and demanding resumption of normal water supply.

Sources from Belonia said that , according to official version, severe power crisis over the past ten days had paralysed the functioning of the local water treatment plant and resultant collapse in the supply of purified drinking water. This was followed by the supply of water by tankers but the quantity of supply was so inadequate that people did not have even provision for drinking water. Forced by the crisis of water the women and children of the village had to draw insufficient and contaminated water from distant places.

Having suffered untold hardship the people of Purba Kalabaria village this morning launched a blockade on the Belonia-Santir Bazar road with buckets and aluminium jars in hands. As traffic on both sides of the road got stranded the chief of Purba Kalabaria village Sahadeb Das appeared in the scene and assured the residents of the village that he will ensure that power supply is normalized and water supply is resumed in the village. He added that until the water treatment plant is brought back to full operation water will be supplied in sufficient quantities by tankers. After being assured by the panchayat chief the villagers withdrew the blockade by asserted that unless the problem is resolved they will resort to another round of blockade.

Later speaking to media persons the panchayat chief Sahadeb Das said that despite meeting with officials he did not get appropriate response from the power and water resource department officials . He also admitted that the crisis was genuine and people had reason to protest because the water supplied by tankers was quite inadequate. He said that until a separate water treatment plant is established the existing one should be repaired and adequate water supply should resume.

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