Agartala, 23rd April 2026: Residents and farmers in Dhaliyai Masterpara area under Sonamura Nagar Panchayat staged a road blockade on Thursday morning, protesting against a severe shortage of drinking water and irrigation facilities amid the ongoing heatwave.
Locals said that although an irrigation machine exists in the area, it has been lying non-functional for most of the year. This has caused significant hardship for nearly 60 to 70 farmers, severely affecting agricultural activities. Angered by the continued neglect of the issue, the residents blocked the Sonamura–Agartala main road at around 9:30 am.
The protest brought traffic to a complete standstill and continued for nearly two hours, causing major disruption for commuters.
On receiving information, personnel from Sonamura Police Station, led by Officer-in-Charge Tapas Das, arrived at the scene. Officials including Sonamura Nagar Panchayat Vice-Chairperson Shahajan Mia and SDO of the Irrigation Department, Melaghar Sub-Division, Sanjib Saha, also visited the spot to address the situation.
Following assurances from the administration that the issue would be resolved within a week, the protesters called off their blockade, restoring normal traffic movement in the area.
