A severe drinking water crisis has persisted for nearly three and a half months in Jyotinagar Colony in the Kashipur area of north Kolkata, West Bengal, where around 5,000 people live, most of them Muslims. Residents of the Chitpur colony allege that water supplies have been completely cut off since May 29, while a Hindu-dominated area just a few hundred metres away continues to receive regular water.
Residents claim the situation deteriorated after the BJP came to power. They allege that water supplies were stopped on the instructions of local BJP legislator Ritesh Tiwari. They further claim that the legislator said the measure was taken because colony residents had not voted for him. Although residents filed a writ petition in the Calcutta High Court seeking relief from the water crisis, they say no solution has yet been found.
A reporter from The Wire visited the colony and found empty water containers outside homes. Several teenage girls were seen standing beside a van with empty containers. Many residents have to travel nearly 1.5 kilometres every day to collect water. At times, they are forced to buy water, while on other occasions they receive one or two buckets from a nearby Hindu settlement. However, some residents there reportedly fear that their own water connections could be cut off if they provide water to their Muslim neighbours.
Akbar Ali, a resident of the colony, said, “Why has the water been cut off? Because we are Muslims.” He alleged that repeated complaints to the borough office and police station had produced no results.
Rashmila Khatun said residents were being forced to use water from the Ganges due to the shortage. This was causing skin diseases, while children were also unable to attend school. Elderly and sick people were suffering the most, she said. According to her, even babies aged six or seven months had to be bathed in dirty river water, resulting in rashes on their bodies.
Another resident, Rikta Bibi, said a colony resident had died a few days earlier. There was not even enough water to wash the body before burial, she said, adding that dirty river water had ultimately been used.
Residents said water supplies had previously been normal and there had been no major complaints. According to them, the situation changed after the Kolkata Municipal Corporation carried out pipeline work towards the end of July. Mohinuddin Sheikh said trenches had been dug at two points, at the beginning and end of the settlement. He claimed that water was cut off at around 11pm on July 28 and had not been restored since. Although the entire area in between remained without water, taps immediately before and after it continued to receive supplies. Those areas, he said, were predominantly Hindu.
Saraswati Biswas, a Hindu resident who has lived in the colony for a long time, also expressed concern over the water crisis. She alleged that children as young as two or three were going to the riverbank in search of water and that a child had nearly drowned a few days earlier. “Who will be responsible if an accident happens?” she asked.
Saraswati further alleged that the new legislator had described local residents as “Bangladeshis” and “illegal occupants.” “How can I be a Bangladeshi? My ancestors lived here. I have documents and voted this time as well,” she said.
Residents fear that efforts are being made to force them to leave the area by cutting off water and electricity supplies. Alamgir Biswas, general secretary of the colony, said there was an attempt to drive residents away by shutting down essential services. Marjina Begum made a similar allegation.
Several women also alleged that they were verbally abused and subjected to religiously offensive remarks when they went to meet the legislator. An elderly woman claimed that the legislator told them, “Why do you build mosques and call upon Allah? Can’t you pray at home? Leave this place.” According to her account, the legislator also denied responsibility for the water cut.
Swati Bibi alleged that the legislator had said the land belonged to the Kolkata Port Trust and that residents were occupying it illegally. She claimed that water supplies, and electricity before that, had been cut off for this reason.
Legislator Ritesh Tiwari, however, offered a different explanation. He said the land belonged to the port authorities and that there was a dispute between the port and the residents. He also said the High Court had temporarily ordered that no force be used against the residents. Referring to the Kolkata Municipal Corporation’s responsibility for water supply, he asked, “What is my role?” When asked whether he could help restore the water supply, he said it was not his responsibility and that residents had approached other leaders, whom they should trust.
In addition to filing a writ petition in the Calcutta High Court, residents had sought protection from eviction in the City Civil Court. However, the court reportedly did not grant them any protection on August 18. Resident Babu Gazi questioned how the settlement could suddenly become Port Trust land if it had been registered. He claimed that despite living there for nearly 70 years, residents had never previously been described as illegal occupants.
The Kolkata municipal commissioner and the Port Trust authorities were also approached for comment on the matter. However, they did not respond.
India’s Supreme Court and various High Courts have repeatedly recognised water as a fundamental right. Despite this, allegations have emerged that nearly 5,000 residents of Jyotinagar Colony have been facing a prolonged water crisis. Residents are now hoping for administrative action and judicial intervention to resolve the situation.