Kolkata water crisis: Trinamool RS MP Samirul Islam files PIL in Calcutta HC for Jyotinagar Colony
Synopsis
A Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP has taken Kolkata's municipal water authority to court over a supply cut that has left 5,000 residents of Jyotinagar Colony without tap water since 29 July — and the allegation that the cut was religiously motivated raises the political temperature well beyond a routine civic dispute.
Key Takeaways
Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Samirul Islam filed a PIL in the Calcutta High Court on Friday, 26 September 2026 seeking restoration of drinking water supply to Jyotinagar Colony , Cossipore, north Kolkata.
Around 5,000 residents have had no access to the colony's five public taps since 29 July , following pipeline work by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) between 26–28 July.
Residents allege the work disrupted supply to a 150-metre stretch of the colony while nearby areas remained unaffected.
Islam alleged that the water cut was linked to the residents' religious identity, a claim that has not been formally rebutted by the BJP in available reports.
The colony additionally faces a potential eviction threat over land claimed by the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata .
Periodic tanker water supply has reportedly been arranged by the CPI(M) as a stopgap measure.
Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Samirul Islam has approached the Calcutta High Court with a Public Interest Litigation (PIL), seeking restoration of municipal drinking water supply to residents of Jyotinagar Colony in Cossipore, north Kolkata. The petition was filed on Friday, 26 September 2026, and concerns the right of nearly 5,000 residents to access safe drinking water.
What the PIL Seeks
Islam announced the legal action through a social media post on Saturday, saying he had moved the court the previous day. 'I filed a PIL in the Calcutta High Court not over voter list issues, but to secure the right of around 5,000 residents to drinking water. We have faith in the judiciary and hope justice will prevail,' he said. The MP expressed confidence that the court would ensure justice for the affected colony residents.
The Water Crisis at Ground Level
According to residents, the crisis began following pipeline-related work carried out by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) between 26 July and 28 July. They allege the work disrupted supply to a 150-metre stretch within the colony, even as taps in adjoining areas continued to function normally. Since 29 July, the colony's five public taps have remained dry, forcing residents to travel to distant water sources or depend on periodic water tanker supplies reportedly arranged by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)].
Political Allegations Complicate the Issue
Islam alleged a communal dimension to the crisis, claiming that residents of Jyotinagar Colony belong to a particular religious community and that water supply was discontinued on that basis. 'After the BJP came to power, the water supply was discontinued — and it was done so because those affected belong to a particular religion. Is this what development looks like — where access to drinking water depends on religion?' he said. These are his allegations; the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had not, according to available reports, issued a formal response to these specific claims.
Eviction Threat Compounds Residents' Distress
The water shortage is not the only crisis confronting Jyotinagar Colony. Residents are also facing uncertainty over a possible eviction from land claimed by the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata. The twin pressures of impending displacement and the loss of a basic utility have left the community in a precarious situation. Notably, the colony is located not in a remote area but, as Islam pointed out, 'in the heart of the city of joy, Kolkata' — making the deprivation particularly conspicuous.
What Happens Next
The PIL is now before the Calcutta High Court, which will determine whether the KMC is directed to restore supply. Legal proceedings are expected to bring administrative accountability into focus — the court may call upon the corporation to explain the basis for, and the timeline around, the pipeline work and its aftermath. The outcome of this case could have wider implications for how civic bodies in West Bengal handle infrastructure disputes affecting vulnerable communities.
Point of View
But the Jyotinagar Colony case sits at the intersection of three fault lines: civic neglect, communal allegation, and land-acquisition pressure. Islam's claim that the water cut was religiously motivated — if substantiated before the court — would represent a serious indictment of civic administration in a city the Trinamool Congress itself governs. That irony deserves scrutiny: the ruling party at the state and municipal level is now litigating against what it frames as a BJP-driven deprivation, yet the KMC — which carried out the pipeline work — is a Trinamool-controlled body. The court's examination of that institutional overlap will be the real story.
NationPress
26 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Samirul Islam file a PIL in the Calcutta High Court?
Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Samirul Islam filed the PIL to seek restoration of municipal drinking water supply to around 5,000 residents of Jyotinagar Colony in Cossipore, north Kolkata. The colony's five public taps have been dry since 29 July following KMC pipeline work.
What caused the water supply disruption in Jyotinagar Colony?
Residents allege that Kolkata Municipal Corporation pipeline work carried out between 26 and 28 July disrupted water supply to a 150-metre stretch within the colony. Taps in surrounding areas reportedly continued to function normally after the work.
How many people are affected by the Kolkata water crisis?
Approximately 5,000 residents of Jyotinagar Colony, Cossipore, north Kolkata, have been without regular tap water since 29 July. They have been relying on distant water sources and periodic tanker supplies reportedly arranged by the CPI(M).
What is the communal allegation made by Samirul Islam?
Islam alleged that the water supply was cut because the affected residents belong to a particular religious community, and attributed the decision to the BJP coming to power. These are his stated allegations; no formal rebuttal from the BJP was available in reports at the time of publication.
What other threat do Jyotinagar Colony residents face?
Beyond the water crisis, residents of Jyotinagar Colony also face uncertainty over a potential eviction from land claimed by the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata, compounding their hardship.
