Raigad: Denied basic amenities for decades, the tribal villagers of Malwadi in Pen taluka, about 100 km from Mumbai, staged a powerful Jal Samadhi (water immersion) protest on Tuesday that finally forced the local administration into action.
Their plight, marked by a severe water crisis and lack of road access, reached a breaking point recently when a pregnant woman tragically lost her unborn child after she couldn't reach the hospital in time — all because the village has no proper road.
The protest, led by social activist Santosh Thakur and organized by the Gram Samvardhan Social Organization, saw dozens of villagers step into the Bhogavati river to demand immediate action on long-pending water and road projects. Their demands were simple: clean drinking water and a motorable road — two basic rights that remain unfulfilled even after 77 years of independence.
Malwadi, a small tribal hamlet with a population of around 200, still lacks a reliable water supply. Every day, women from the village walk over two kilometers to fetch water from a polluted pond or hike to a forest pit over a kilometer away — often before sunrise — just to collect a pot of water. This exhausting task forces them to sacrifice daily wage work, worsening the cycle of poverty.
To address the water crisis, a ₹45 lakh project under the Jal Jeevan Mission was sanctioned two years ago. However, the work remains incomplete. In December 2023, a fresh contract was awarded to Satish Sudhakar Gharat of Chalmala village, with a 12-month completion timeline. Villagers allege that the contractor, sarpanch, and officials have never visited the site, and not even 50% of the work has been completed.
A separate contract for road construction was issued by the Public Works Department (PWD) on September 19, 2024, to Rameshwar Construction of Pen. The project deadline has already lapsed, yet work has not begun. The lack of road access has halted development entirely and contributed directly to the recent maternal tragedy.
Initially ignored by the administration, the Jal Samadhi protest drew immediate attention when villagers, led by Thakur, entered the river in protest. Officials including Tehsildar Tanaji Shejal, Group Development Officer Avinash Gharat, Deputy Engineers Ravi Pachpor and Ramesh Rathod from the Rural Water Supply Department, and PWD Engineer Damodar Patil rushed to the site.
Tehsildar Shejal assured protestors that a permanent water supply system would be installed within two days, and that road construction would begin by May 16. Following this assurance, Thakur announced a two-day suspension of the protest, warning that if the promises are not fulfilled, the villagers will lock the offices of the PWD and Water Supply Department.
For the people of Malwadi, this protest wasn’t just about water or roads — it was about survival, dignity, and a demand to no longer be invisible in the eyes of the state.