Residents of Manikyanagar Gram Panchayat under the Sepahijala District of Tripura have been enduring a severe power outage for the past five days. The disruption in electricity supply also led to an acute water shortage in the entire village area, causing immense hardship to the people.
Angered by the lack of electricity and water supply, local residents blocked the Boxnagar-Bishalgarh road on Wednesday morning.
Due to the blockade, long snarl of vehicles on both sides of the road was noticed. Numerous vehicles, including those carrying students, passengers, and government employees, were stranded on their way to Agartala and Bishalgarh.
The protesters demanded the immediate restoration of water and electricity supply. The common people complained that despite promises from elected representatives, the problems had not been permanently resolved. Locals raised questions about why such protests occur repeatedly and why the concerned departments fail to address these issues beforehand.
The blockade, which lasted for nearly two hours, severely disrupted normal life. Faced with the intense protest, officials from the electricity department and Kalamchoura police station quickly arrived at the scene. Following discussions, the department officials assured a speedy initiative to address the problem. After the assurance, agitating villagers lifted the blockade.
The protesters have warned that if the problem is not resolved within 24 hours, they will be forced to resort to a larger protest. It remains to be seen how quickly the administration and the concerned departments can fulfil the people’s demands as promised.
(Tripura, Tripura News)
