Roosters dry up in Calcutta Colony for 50 days; residents report bias
The residents alleged that the water connection was cut deliberately in the name of repairing the pipes
For the last 52 days, the residents of Jyoti Nagar colony in Cossipore, Kolkata, have been surviving without drinking water. Five public taps serving the area have gone dry since July 29 following pipeline work carried out by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC).
The colony is located on the banks of the Ganges next to the century-old Cossipore Guns and Shells factory under ward number 6. The area is home to around 5,000 people, mostly from the Muslim community. However, water supply stopped at all five taps serving the area on July 29 and has not yet been restored.
The residents alleged that the water connection was cut deliberately in the name of repairing the pipes. “We saw KMC workers working on pipelines in the entrance area of our colony in mid-July. On July 28, their work was over and they left. Next morning, water supply was stopped in our area. We approached KMC and the local MLA. But nothing has happened so far. We are probably facing this because of our religious identity. People in neighboring colonies have proper Bizma water connection,” people in neighboring colonies said.
Residents are forced to use Ganga water for bathing and washing. However, the water is cloudy and unsanitary, and many children develop skin infections. Many of them have undergone treatment.
Eviction plan
The residents have also alleged that this is an attempt to evict them as the land of the colony is currently in dispute with the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port Authority. According to officials, the land historically belonged to the Port Authority. But the residents have been living in the area for a long time.
In February this year, the port authority moved a civil court to reclaim the authority of the land, which covers more than 3,000 sq m. The court issued an eviction order the same month, but port officials issued a notice to the colony’s residents in June, asking them to vacate the area in the next 15 days.
“Meanwhile, the local BJP workers also started intimidating us by calling us illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and forcing us to leave the colony as soon as possible,” said another resident Alamgir Biswas. On August 19, the residents filed a petition in the Calcutta High Court for relief from the eviction order. The High Court issued a temporary stay on the eviction order until Thursday.
However, the water connection was not restored.
Indifferent MLA
BJP MLA from Kashipur-Belgachhia constituency Ritesh Tiwari did not respond to The Hindu’s request for a response on the matter. However, the locals said that despite several requests, he did not pay attention to their problems.
“A group of women from the colony went to his office to talk to him about the matter in August. He said those who did not vote for the BJP would not get any facilities. Should we be treated like this?” said Pinki Bibi who was one of the residents of the group.
Reacting to this development, Trinamool Congress MP Samirul Islam said it is because of BJP’s divisive politics. It has been almost two months since their water supply was disconnected. “Why? Because those people are from a minority community. The Prime Minister always uses the slogan Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas. Is this an example of depriving people of drinking water? Why is the Bengal government not taking any action on this?” The TMC MP said in a post on X.
CPI(M) MP Bikas Ranjan Bhattacharya organized a protest rally condemning the government. He said the government was violating the basic rights of the people.
Activists from the Association for the Protection of Civil Rights (APCR) also issued a statement. “Access to clean water is not a privilege or an advantage granted to any particular community, locality or individual; it is a basic human necessity. It is the responsibility of the authorities to ensure that citizens are not deprived of basic public services and that such problems are dealt with quickly, efficiently and humanely,” said Secretary Umar Awais.
Published – 19 Sep 2026 01:24 IST