BARMURA: Residents of the hilly Barmura area blocked the Assam-Agartala National Highway at Hataikatar on Tuesday, staging a protest demanding immediate resolution of an acute drinking water crisis that has persisted for nearly a month.
Protesters said they have been suffering severe hardship due to the prolonged shortage of drinking water, with repeated appeals to public representatives and the administration yielding no results.
Residents alleged that ahead of the elections, local MLA Swapna Debbarma, along with the MDC, had assured them that the drinking water problem would be resolved. However, they claimed the promise was never fulfilled, leaving them with no option but to resort to the highway blockade.
The protest caused disruption to traffic movement along the busy national highway before administrative and police officials intervened.
Speaking to the media, residents narrated their month-long ordeal, stating that the lack of a reliable drinking water supply has severely affected daily life in the hilly terrain.
Locals demanded that authorities take immediate steps to restore regular water supply and urged elected representatives to fulfil their earlier commitments without further delay.
The situation was brought under control following assurances from officials present at the spot.