TMC MP Samirul Islam writes to UN over Kolkata water crisis

What happened in Jyoti Nagar Colony?

Trinamool Congress MP Samirul Islam has appealed to the United Nations to step into a drinking water crisis in Kolkata, alleging that Muslim residents of a municipal colony have been targeted and cut off from their water supply for political reasons.

In a formal letter to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Islam claimed that the water supply to Jyoti Nagar Colony was shut down after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) took power in West Bengal. The Rajya Sabha member released a copy of the letter on the social media platform X, framing the crisis as a deliberate political act.

"As the BJP came to power, the drinking water supply in Jyoti Nagar Colony in Kolkata was cut off, because the residents are Muslims and are not considered part of the BJP's so-called vote bank," Islam said.

Why the MP is calling for international intervention

Islam argued that the prolonged disruption cannot be treated as an ordinary municipal service failure. Instead, he described the situation as a direct violation of basic human rights that requires international attention.

The letter pointed to the United Nations' own declarations, which recognise access to clean, safe drinking water and proper sanitation as fundamental human rights. Islam wrote that denying these services directly undermines the residents' rights to health, personal dignity, and a decent standard of living.

"The residents have not asked for a privilege or a special benefit," Islam wrote. "They are asking for access to something indispensable for their survival."

The threat of disease

The MP also warned of severe health consequences if the water supply is not restored quickly. He noted that the colony is home to thousands of people, many of whom come from low-income and marginalised backgrounds, who have no alternative source of clean water.

Leaving a dense urban population without safe water, Islam warned, risks triggering widespread waterborne diseases and creating a full-blown public health emergency.

He urged the UN's human rights monitors to formally register the complaint and demand a detailed explanation from local government authorities regarding the prolonged failure to provide the colony with regular, adequate drinking water.