It’s disheartening to hear that even after so many years of independence, some communities still lack basic necessities like safe drinking water. Access to clean water is a fundamental human right, and efforts should be made to ensure that all citizens, regardless of their location, have access to it.

The water crisis affecting indigenous communities in Tripura’s hilly areas is indeed alarming. Lack of access to clean water not only poses immediate health risks but also hampers economic and social development. It’s crucial for authorities to prioritize infrastructure development and provide sustainable solutions to ensure these communities have access to safe drinking water.

It’s deeply concerning to hear that the indigenous people in Tuikal Para and Mungaikami road block have to endure such hardships just to access water for their daily needs. Relying on water collected from hills is not only unsustainable but also poses significant health risks.

This isolated Tuikal Para region is home to reportedly around thirty ethnic Reang families. These families deal with a range of issues in their day-to-day lives. The quality of life for those families has not increased even after 76 years of freedom. All those ethnic families are still residing in those run-down bamboo homes today. The government house was not even the destination of their fate.

For now, the people of Tuikal Para have no resources other than the dirty drinking water that has been sucked up by enormous hills. For everything from cooking to bathing, every household uses this filthy water. Moreover, Tuikal hamlet residents, ages 0 to 80, are continuously afflicted with a variety of dreadful water-borne illnesses as a result of drinking this water.

After being approached by Northeast Today, an anonymous official from Mungiakami RD Block stated that it is highly improbable to get potable water from underground. The state government is, however, considering a different strategy as part of the “Jal Jeevan Mission” to supply drinking water.

These days, it’s also happening in Bardowali because of problems at the Howrah River Water Treatment Plant. For the past 3 days, there has been a severe water crisis in the Agartala city regions of Bardowali, Ramnagar, and Krishnanagar.

However, as the Tuikal Para area falls under the jurisdiction of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC), local residents have begun to make demands. The long-standing demand for clean drinking water should be resolved as quickly as possible by the ADC and state administrations.