Ward 133 of Mrinal Mondal, adjacent to the affected ward, is the only ward in the Garden Reach area that receives an adequate supply of water while all the other four wards, including 134, 135, 136 and 138, suffer from water crisis.

Locals say Ward 133 also used to face severe scarcity of water before Mondal contested the election. Just after the last civic polls, the ward started receiving a good supply of water. “Mondal has shifted the pump of our ward to his ward depriving the residents of ward 135,” said Talib Hussain, a resident of Ward 135.

Residents of Ward 135 alleged that the situation worsened after the sole water pumping station in the area became defunct nine years ago. Hussain said: “Earlier, we used to receive a good supply of water. But the pumping station started malfunctioning as the water level went down and the water crisis started. The KMC did not do anything to restore the pumping station. To cap it all, it declared the pumping station defunct.”

Mondal denied the charges against him. “The pump has not been shifted. It is there in the pump house and the pump is defunct. It is an allegation to politicise the issue. We could not restore the pumping station since no space is available there,” said Mondal.