Malda: Water crisis sparks protest in Harishchandrapur

Malda: A severe water crisis has gripped the Harishchandrapur Sadar area even before the peak of summer, leading to widespread public outrage. Despite promises, the Public Health Engineering (PHE) department has yet to complete pipeline connections to households, forcing residents — especially women — to take to the streets in protest.

Women blocked the road on Thursday morning, leading to the hospital in Marwari Para, setting tires on fire and staging a sit-in demonstration. The agitation lasted for nearly three hours, disrupting roadwork in the area. Protesters demanded that water supply be ensured before any further infrastructure projects proceed. Even the police, who arrived to manage the situation, encountered resistance from the protestors. Eventually, the blockade was lifted after police, accompanied by PHE engineers, assured the residents that water supply would be arranged soon.

Minister of state for Textiles, Tajmul Hossain, whose constituency includes this affected region, stated: “Water connections would be provided to every household soon.”

However, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has accused the ruling TMC of deliberately depriving the Sadar area of water, alleging political discrimination since the region has shown strong support for BJP in recent elections.