HC asks Centre, state to urgently resolve water woes in Aurangabad

HC has further stated that as the Ajanta and Ellora caves and Shirdi are close by and the city serves as a tourist attraction, both the state and central government should make efforts to improve the water supply to the city

Mumbai: Expressing concerns and shock over the lack of potable water for Aurangabad city, the Bombay high court has directed the concerned state and central government authorities to expedite permissions for projects which will provide regular drinking water to the city.

The division bench of chief justice Dipankar Datta and justice Ravindra Ghuge while hearing public interest litigation (PIL) was informed that the projects intended to improve the situation were stuck due to administrative hassles.

HC has further stated that as the Ajanta and Ellora caves and Shirdi are close by and the city serves as a tourist attraction, both the state and central government should make efforts to improve the water supply to the city, which currently gets drinking water only once a week.

The division bench of chief justice Dipankar Datta and justice Ravindra Ghuge while hearing public interest litigation (PIL) was informed that the projects intended to improve the situation were stuck due to administrative hassles.

After hearing the initial submissions the bench noted in its order, “It is shocking to note that the residents of Aurangabad city have been treated so shabbily by the executive. Aurangabad city, being a tourist attraction because of the historic Ajanta and Ellora caves as well as the Shirdi Saibaba temple being in its vicinity, we would have expected the respondents, which include both the Central and State Governments, to give a better deal to the residents of Aurangabad and nearby areas.”

The PIL filed by Shrihari Shidore, a resident of Aurangabad and other residents, had stated that there was a dire need for improving the water supply and a proposal for a pump house had been mooted to pump water from Jayakwadi Dam.

The bench was further informed that the proposal for the pump house was pending clearance as the land identified for the same was under the National Board of Wildlife. As the standing committee of the board met once in three months the proposal would not come up for hearing before August 30 thus aggravating the situation faced by the residents of Aurangabad city and its surrounding areas.

“The concern that has been expressed by the petitioners in this public interest litigation is such that it cannot brook any delay. While the executive may think that the supply of potable water to the residents of Aurangabad city is not too important, we are of the considered opinion that the proposal of the State Government seeking approval for construction of the pump house cannot wait till 30.08.2022,” observed the bench.

In light of this, the bench directed the Standing Committee of the Wildlife Board to convene a meeting urgently and decide on the pump house proposal as soon as possible. The bench further directed the contractor who has been entrusted with the work of laying the pipeline from Jayakwadi Dam to the proposed pump house location to continue the work and also directed the impleadment of MSEDCL and BSNL in the PIL as they have poles and underground cables installed in the route of the pipeline that needs to be shifted.

The bench then directed the pipeline contractor to file an affidavit enumerating the progress of the pipe laying work and the number of locations from where the electric poles and cables of MSEDCL and fibre optic posts and cables of BSNL needed to be shifted and posted the hearing of the PIL to July 22.