Amid Scorching Heat, Tripura Residents Face Water and Power Shortage. Are Basic Amenities Crumbling in the State?

Is the Manik Saha government failing to provide basic facilities like power and water supply to the state’s people?

Is Tripura’s basic amenities, infrastructure and public services crumbling? Is the Manik Saha government failing to provide basic facilities like power and water supply to the state’s people?

Well, frequent instances of power and water outages have been reported from different parts of the state including protests by students and their parents. In past two days, two incidents of public protest and road blockade were reported from two different parts of the state.

In one incident, reported on Monday, residents of Dhaliaerkandi under Kailashahar sub-division in Unakoti district staged a massive road blockade, bringing vehicular movement to a grinding halt at key intersections in the region. The residents were angered over persistent power outages and acute drinking water shortages

Protesters, mostly local villagers from Ward No. 2 of Dhaliaerkandi, gathered and blocked the Tilabazar–Baburbazar and Tilabazar–Dhaliaerkandi roads by burning tyres and shouting slogans against the authorities and private power service provider Sai Computer Limited.

The blockade created massive traffic snarls, leaving vehicles and pedestrians stranded on both sides for hours.

Residents alleged that they have been suffering from severe low-voltage power supply for the past few years, making it impossible to operate fans, lights, or water pumps in their homes.

This has further worsened the water crisis in the area, as electric pumps used to draw water remain non-functional due to voltage issues.

Despite repeated written and verbal complaints to the Sai Computer Limited and even appeals to the Kailashahar Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) and the District Magistrate of Unakoti, no concrete steps were taken, the protestors claimed.

The locals alleged that the elderly are falling ill due to extreme heat, and children can’t even study at night. Despite paying regular electricity bills, they avail no service in return. The villagers also expressed frustration that despite the seriousness of the situation, no official had arrived on the scene. A large contingent of police and Tripura State Rifles (TSR) personnel eventually reached the protest site to bring the situation under control, but the agitating locals refused to enter into any dialogue.

The protestors warned that the blockade would continue indefinitely until proper electricity supply is restored in the village. They alleged injustice in the name of power service.

In the second incident, reported on Sunday, at least 500 students of Kherenjuri Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya in North Tripura’s Dharmanagar subdivision had to spend 6 days without water in the school and hostel premises. The crisis triggered an outburst of anger, when hundreds of students and parents blocked National Highway-8, crippling vehicular movement for several hours.
The students were left struggling for drinking water and water for sanitation purposes. The situation reached a critical point that students were reportedly forced to collect rainwater for daily use.

Despite multiple complaints to the school administration, no effective solution was provided, fuelling frustration among parents.

The District Magistrate (DM) and local MLA were also informed about the water crisis but no alternative arrangements such as water tankers were made, further enraging parents who accused the department of inhuman negligence.The incident underscores the growing crisis in basic infrastructure in educational institutions and highlights the need for swift administrative action to avoid such public outbursts.

Significantly,both the incidents once again highlights the growing discontent among the public, particularly rural residents in Tripura over failing public services, particularly in remote areas where basic amenities remain inconsistent despite regular billing and government assurances.

Also read: 500 Students of a North Tripura Residential School Suffer for 6 Days Without Water; Protests Erupt, Highway Blocked

COMMENTS