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Nearly 5,000 residents of Cossipore, Kolkata, have been deprived of tap water since July 29, while the eviction case is pending in the Calcutta High Court.
The colony’s five public taps, which used to supply water from 5 am to 11 pm, are now dry.
Nearly 95 per cent of the residents are Muslim, and most are daily wage labourers, masons, rickshaw pullers, or factory workers.
According to residents, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) carried out pipeline work in the area from July 26 to 28. The water supply stopped on the night of July 28 and has not returned.
Allegations are that the road was dug up at both ends of the colony, leaving approximately 150 metres of the middle area without water, while the taps in front of it and behind it are still running. Electricity was also cut off that same day but was restored about ten days later. Residents filed verbal and written complaints at the municipal office, but no official visited to assess the situation.
Women, children, and the elderly bear the heaviest burden. People carry water from distant taps. Some are forced to use muddy water from the Ganges, which is undrinkable. Many mothers fear skin infections in their children.
Those with limited resources are purchasing water tanks, but this is not possible for every household. Under the initiative of the CPI(M), a tanker arrives every two or three days, which is far less than necessary.
Local activists and residents allege that this is not negligence but part of a conspiracy to evict the colony, and they link it to discrimination against the Muslim population. Saraswati Biswas, a Hindu resident who has lived in the colony for nearly 60 years, alleges that the MLA referred to the residents as ‘Bangladeshis and encroachers’. She asks, “How did I become a Bangladeshi? My ancestors lived here, I have complete Indian documents, and I even voted this year.”
Right after assuming office, local BJP MLA Ritesh Tiwari had pledged he won’t do anything for Muslims. He added that the land belongs to the port and the case is in court, so he has no role.
If the issue is merely a pipeline repair, why hasn’t water been restored even weeks after the work was completed? Why is it taking so long to fix a technical fault, and who is getting relief by depriving 5,000 people of basic amenities?
The colony sits on approximately 3,478 square metres of land that is said to belong to the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Port, Kolkata. On February 23, the port’s estate officer issued an order to vacate the colony under the Public Premises Act, 1971. Residents learnt of this on June 9. They claim the order neither mentions a public notice nor provides them with an opportunity to present their case.
The City Civil Court refused relief on August 18, but on August 19, the Calcutta High Court placed an interim stay on the eviction process. The port authority argues that the colony is unsafe and overcrowded and is suffering significant revenue losses. The case is pending in court.
This story is not an isolated incident. In July 2025, in Dhubri, Assam, the homes of approximately 1,400 Muslim families of Bengali origin were demolished, displacing approximately 10,000 people. On September 20, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma laid the foundation stone for Adani Power’s 3,200 MW thermal project on this same land.
This government land, measuring approximately 1,157 acres, was first given to the state-owned company APDCL, which then allotted it to Adani Power. The government describes such drives as removal of illegal encroachments, while the displaced people claim they have been living there for three to four decades and have not received rehabilitation.
Is it justified to displace poor families to make way for large industries? Mr Sarma, are you a public servant or a property dealer for a corporate giant? When citizens are displaced to clear land for capitalists, what is this if not a mix of capitalism and fascism? And when Muslims are always ready to help others in every crisis, why is help not reaching them when it is their turn? Now, whose responsibility is it to restore these conditions?
This post was last modified on September 25, 2026 6:57 pm