BY TC News Desk
Agartala, 9th January 2024 : In a demonstration of frustration over the prolonged issue of drinking water scarcity, around three hundred men and women from West Ichai Lalchara Ward No. 3 in North Tripura gathered on Tuesday at 10 am to block the main road from Kadamtala to Dharmanagar.
The protest took place in front of Mahadev house adjacent to the West Ichailalchhara village panchayat office under the Kalachhra block of Bagbasa assembly in the Dharmanagar Mahakumat of North Tripura district.
The blockaders cited a lack of response from the local BJP party leadership despite numerous appeals to the Drinking Water and Sanitation (DWS) office, along with panchayat public representatives, to address the persistent water issue in the area. With no resolution in sight, the residents felt compelled to take action and block the Kadamtala-Dharmanagar main road.
Approximately a hundred families reside in the affected area, and the road blockade commenced at 10 am. Initially, only the police from Kadamtala police station arrived at the scene, and the protesters warned that they would continue the blockade indefinitely if their demands were not addressed.
The prolonged road blockade led to significant inconvenience for commuters, with hundreds of vehicles stranded on either side of the blockade site. Apu Purkayastha, Junior Engineer of DWS, responded to the situation after being informed of the road blockade. Bagbasa Assembly MLA Yadav Lal Debnath attempted to contact the residents by phone, but they reportedly refused to engage in conversation.
Residents claimed that they had not seen the MLA in the area since the election, and now, after the news of the road blockade, he sought to contact local leaders to address the situation. After several hours of protest, the blockade was eventually lifted following assurances from Dharmanagar sub-division police officer Debashish Sahar, and normal traffic flow was restored.
