Kailasahar Villagers blocked highway demanding immediate access to drinking water and urgent repairs to long-neglected village roads.
Kailasahar, Aug 4: Frustrated over persistent neglect by authorities, villagers from Doluchhara under the Bhagaban Nagar Gram Panchayat of Gournagar Block in Tripura staged a blockade on National Highway 208 in Kailasahar’s Chinibagan area on Monday.
Aggrieved villagers demanded immediate access to drinking water and urgent repairs to long-neglected village roads.
The protest, which began around 11:30 AM, brought traffic to a standstill, leaving vehicles and commuters stranded on both sides of the highway.
Demonstrators voiced anger over the lack of basic amenities, despite numerous written and verbal complaints to government departments and panchayat officials over the years.
Chronic Water Scarcity, Neglected Roads
Residents of Doluchhara have been grappling with a drinking water crisis due to the absence of a permanent supply system.
According to villagers, no water tankers are dispatched by the Drinking Water and Sanitation Department, despite repeated pleas. The condition of the village road has also deteriorated to the point of being nearly impassable.
While the local panchayat had initiated a repair project, villagers alleged that a panchayat member embezzled the allocated funds, leaving the work incomplete.
Formal complaints to the Block Development Officer (BDO) of Gournagar, the Unakoti District Magistrate, and the Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Kailasahar reportedly yielded no response.
What Crime Have We Committed?’
“We vote like every other citizen, but get nothing in return—not even drinking water or a motorable road,” said one protester. “What crime have we committed to deserve such treatment?”
Despite efforts by Kailasahar police and Tripura State Rifles (TSR) personnel to disperse the gathering, villagers remained firm on their demands.
They said that the blockade would not be lifted unless the administration provided concrete assurances within three days.
Officials Respond, Protesters Relent
By 1:30 PM, a team of officials led by Deputy Magistrate Moti Ranjan Debbarma, Drinking Water and Sanitation Department official Nirmal Chandra Biswas, Gournagar Block officers, and members of the Bhagaban Nagar Gram Panchayat reached the protest site.
Following discussions, the administration pledged to deliver drinking water by tankers on a daily basis until a permanent solution is implemented. They also promised to begin road repair work within a week.
Satisfied with the assurances, villagers lifted the blockade around 2:00 PM. However, the disruption had already caused significant inconvenience to the general public, with long traffic snarls and delayed travel plans.
A Pattern of Protests in Kailasahar
This incident marks the third road blockade in Kailasahar within a span of four days. Just two days ago, students in Tilabazar blocked roads to oppose teacher transfers. Earlier, residents of Mailong ADC Village and Durgapur resorted to similar protests demanding road repairs and drinking water, respectively.
With road blockades becoming a near-weekly phenomenon in the region, locals lament that such demonstrations, though disruptive, have become their only recourse in the face of administrative apathy.
