— Attachment Content: Women_block_NH_6_over_water_crisis_in_Hailakandi.docx —Women block NH-6 over water crisis in HailakandiSilchar: Slogans of “We want water” reverberated across the greater Lalpani–Niskar belt of Assam’s Hailakandi district on Tuesday morning as hundreds of women, many carrying pitchers and containers, staged a blockade on National NH-6 to protest an acute drinking water crisis despite having household tap connections under the Centre’s Jal Jeevan Mission.The agitation began in the early hours, with residents from Lalpani, Gramthan, Bilpar and Niskar villages assembling on the highway. Alleging that piped water supply has remained suspended for weeks, the women sat on the road in protest, triggering massive traffic snarls along the busy inter-state corridor.“We have small children and elderly people at home. How long can we survive without water? We have connections, but the taps run dry,” said a protester, clutching a pitcher as vehicles lined up on both sides of the highway.Villagers claimed that though pipelines were laid and functional household tap connections provided under the central scheme, regular water supply has not been maintained for several weeks. With the ongoing dry spell aggravating the situation, families have been forced to fetch water from distant ponds and private borewells.Residents alleged that repeated memoranda submitted to officials of the Public Health Engineering (PHE) department, engineers and local representatives failed to yield results. “We approached everyone concerned, but nothing changed. We were left with no option but to hit the streets,” another villager said.The blockade brought vehicular movement on NH-6 to a standstill for several hours, inconveniencing commuters and long-distance travellers. Police personnel were deployed to the spot to prevent any untoward incident and to manage the tense situation.Upon receiving information, Katlicherra circle officer M Das, accompanied by police officials, rushed to the site. After holding discussions with PHE department officials, the administration assured the agitators that electricity supply to the water project would be restored at the earliest and technical faults rectified on priority to resume drinking water supply.Following the assurance, the protesters lifted the blockade and traffic gradually returned to normal.However, residents of the greater Lalpani–Niskar area remained sceptical. “We have heard assurances before. What we need now is water in our taps,” a villager remarked, reflecting a lingering sense of distrust even after the administration’s intervention. – bbg.
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