Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Samirul Islam has written to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, seeking intervention over the alleged denial of drinking water to Muslim residents in a Kolkata region following a prolonged disruption in supply. Sharing the letter on social media, Islam emphasized that the issue extended beyond ordinary civic services and constituted a fundamental human rights concern for the people living in Jyoti Nagar Colony. He claimed that the community was being systematically deprived of water because its population is predominantly Muslim.
In his public statements, Islam asserted that the neighborhood's water supply was cut off after the Bharatiya Janata Party came to power in West Bengal, alleging that the residents were excluded because they did not align with the party's political support base. Explaining his decision to approach international authorities, Islam stated in his letter that the ongoing lack of adequate drinking water could no longer be dismissed as a routine municipal failure. He pointed out that the United Nations formally recognizes access to clean, safe drinking water and sanitation as a basic human right, noting that the crisis directly threatens the residents' rights to health, dignity, and an adequate standard of living.
Islam stressed that the affected families were not requesting special privileges or favors, but were simply demanding access to a resource essential for human survival. He further cautioned that the continued absence of drinking water created severe public health risks, potentially sparking widespread disease among thousands of impoverished and vulnerable individuals. Concluding his appeal, Islam called upon UN human rights mechanisms to formally note the situation and demand explanations from the relevant authorities regarding the prolonged failure to maintain a regular water supply to the colony.