At the heart of Begunbari’s water problem is an underconstruction tank that was commissioned by the Left Front-led government in 2009. Even as the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government stormed to power in 2011 with a promise of change, time has stood still in the village.
“It’s been 14 years since the villagers had access to clean drinking water. Everyone comes to seek votes ahead of elections but no one resolves our water-related issues. If the temperature allows and the sun isn’t too harsh, then only then I am going to vote (on Monday). Will anyone come and solve our water problems? Why should I take so much trouble?” asks Bibi of Hijuli village, another village in Beledanga that’s affected by the crisis.
According to local residents, water scarcity isn’t a new issue in several villages in Beledanga. Over the years, efforts by the government to improve water supply to the villages have failed due to lack of infrastructure.
“About 14 years ago, the tank had come up in Begunbari. The situation, however, still remains the same. There have been several agitations and road blockades to demand its construction but no one could assure adequate water supply to the area,” said Nabir Hossain, a resident of Begunbari.
“The taps installed by the government provide minimal relief, leaving many of us dependent on the polluted pond water. In such extreme temperatures, there is not enough water even in houses which have independent water supply. Politicians think of minority-dominated villages like Begunbari just as a votebank,” said Hossain.
The infamous water tank stands tall and forgotten, but is a popular landmark when you are giving directions. “When people come from outside, we guide them using the tank as a landmark. Even though its construction began in Left rule, and now the TMC is in power, it still doesn’t function,” said another villager Sheikh Aariz, who is a migrant labourer.
As per villagers, there are four water tank reservoirs, located five kilometers apart each, which are supposed to cover 25 villages in Beledanga, Begunbari being one of them. Over 160,000 people live in these villages and if the construction of even two of the tanks was completed, they could supply water to around 80,000 people.
In the wake of the problem, villagers are forced to rely on private vendors who supply jerry cans filled with water as the water available in the nearby pond or supplied by the limited handpumps in the villages is not potable.
Jarman Ali, who lives in Begunbari, said during summer, his family needs four water cans a day. “Each can costs Rs 20, so every day we spend Rs 60-80. Sometimes, they (private vendors) don’t even have adequate jars to supply to all families in the village. What is the use of voting if no government can understand and resolve our basic problems,” asks Ali.
The lack of adequate water in these villages also forces local youths to migrate to other cities for a better life. “They say that there is not a home here where young men have not migrated to other states and countries. Migration is already a big problem in the area. The worst part is the women who stay in the villages are left to deal with the problem,” he adds.
Acknowledging the issue, TMC leader and Begunbari’s village head Ansur Rehman said, “Drinking water is a common problem in the area. Every summer season, there are baithak (meetings) and every time they (officials) submit a deputation to the administration, but the situation remains the same.”
The Block Development Officer of Beledanga Rathindranath Adhikari said the administration was aware of the problem and efforts to solve the challenge have failed due to poor infrastructure.
“Over the past 15 days, around 25 taps have been installed to temporarily solve the problem. We are aware about the water tank being unused and the problem the villagers are facing. To supply water from the tank to homes, we need PHE pipelines, efforts are on to ensure each of the houses gets water. As far as initial delays are concerned there are some technical issues. For example, there is a railway line when you enter the area. Now, the pipeline has to cross the tracks for which we need certain permissions. We are trying our best (to get the permissions) so that underground drinking water can be reserved in the tank.”
Begunbari village falls under Baharampur lok Sabha constituency, which has been represented by Congress state unit chief Adhir Chowdhury since 1999. In the 2024 general elections, Chowdhury is facing TMC’s Yusuf Pathan and BJP’s Nirmal Saha.