Assam: Over a hundred residents of Machimpur Grant, under Assam’s Badarpur constituency, staged a protest on Sunday, January 5, demanding immediate access to clean drinking water.
Armed with buckets and pots, villagers rallied outside the state government’s water supply center, decrying stalled operations caused by an ongoing strike by departmental staff.
The protestors expressed frustration over the deteriorating state of the water supply infrastructure. Faulty machinery and neglected reservoirs have left the community grappling with an acute shortage of clean water. Chants of “Down with the Water Supply Department” and “Down with the Minister” echoed through the protest, as villagers accused officials of corruption and mismanagement within the Jal Jeevan Mission initiative.
Residents alleged that essential supplies meant to purify river water were either underutilized or mishandled, forcing them to rely on foul-smelling, unsafe water. Protest leaders singled out the Machimpur Grant Water Supply Scheme (WSS) as a prime example of systemic corruption and administrative failure.
In a desperate appeal to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Cachar District Magistrate Mridul Kumar Yadav, the villagers called for immediate action to restore clean drinking water.
Prominent community members, including Achar Uddin, Junu Singh, Gaya Prasad Bhar, Niva Rani Das, Shibu Ri, and Jatin Bhar, led the demonstration. They emphasized the urgent need for intervention to resolve the crisis, restore the water supply system, and ensure a sustainable solution for the community’s basic needs.
The protest underscores the growing frustration of residents over basic infrastructural failures and calls for greater accountability from state authorities.
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