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‘Asking citizens to drink sewage water?’: Delhi high court raps Jal Board
The Delhi Jal Board has filed a status report informing the court that several houses in the affected areas have old and damaged water supply pipes.
The Delhi high court rapped the city’s water department on Friday for supplying contaminated water to several colonies and making citizens drink “sewage mixed water” just two days after directing the body to conduct an inspection in the affected areas.
"Unless someone knocks the doors of the court, you yourself can’t do this? You are asking citizens of this city to drink sewage mixed water?" said the bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Anish Dayal on Friday, reported PTI.
They made the remarks while hearing a plea alleging that residents of several areas of east Delhi were receiving "highly contaminated potable water" mixed with sewage in their household taps. The affected areas include Yojana Vihar, Anand Vihar, Jagriti Enclave and other adjacent areas.
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After being asked to inspect the affected areas, the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) filed a status report informing the court that several houses in these places have old and damaged water supply pipes. This includes the petitioner’s house as well.
The DJB said that the water distribution system in Yojana Vihar has exceeded its operational life and needs to be replaced completely. It was installed 35 years ago, the Jal Board said.
The DJB also put forth a timeline for replacing the damaged pipes. It said that a tender for the project would be invited by July 7 and a contract for the same would be awarded within another ten days, by July 17. The project was proposed to be completed in 20 days from the date of the contract, reported PTI.
The court has directed the Delhi Jal Board to complete the work of replacing the old and damaged pipelines by August 2025 and added that failure to adhere to this would attract serious action by the court.
The DJB assured of undertaking the work to replace damaged water distribution networks and prioritizing the affected areas based on the budget available. It has been directed to file an affidavit with the timeline in which the entire water distribution network in the area would be replaced, the report added.
"We also direct that authorities of DJB should be vigilant and take appropriate measures to check that booster pumps are not used during non-supply hours by the residents of the area and if any resident is found indulging in this, necessary action be taken in this regard," said the bench.
The matter will now be heard on August 13.
With PTI inputs.
