State Human Rights panel sends notice to Jal Sansthan

LUCKNOW: Taking sou moto cognizance of the news item "Water Crisis Unifies All City Areas'' published in The Times of India, on Thursday, the UP State Human Rights Commission ( UPSHRC) has issued notices to principal secretary, urban development, Lucknow Municipal Commissioner and secretary Jal Sansthan asking them to apprise the Commission by July 6 as to what measures they have taken to ensure that sufficient drinking water free form contamination, stink and pollution was being supplied to people of Lucknow.

Jal Sansthan secretary has also been directed to personally appear before the commission with the compliance report on the next date of hearing. Justice Vishnu Sahai, member, UPHRC, in his order said that the news item shows that not only there is a acute water shortage in various localities of Lucknow like Chowk, Vikas Nagar, Alambagh, Indra Nagar, Gomti Nagar, Aminabad, Aliganj, Aishbagh and Mahanagar but also the water supplied in Aminabad and Mahanagar is contaminated.

"I have no hesitation in observing that if the aforesaid facts are true, the fundamental right to life guaranteed by Article 21 of the Constitution in which is implicit their right to sufficient and clean water is being blatantly violated by Jal Sansthan which not only charge water tax from people but is also under a statutory obligation to supply adequate water which is drinkable," said Justice Sahai in the order.

Justice Sahai, further stated "Since the commission is under a statutary obligation to protect the fundamental right to life guaranteed by Article 21 of the Constitution, it cannot be remain a mute spectator to the situation. Hence I am of the view that this is a fit case in which the Commission should exercise its suo moto jurisdiction.

The TOI in its report had highlighed how state capital's water situation continues to remain bleak in most of the areas. Areas like Chowk, Indiranagar, Aminabad, Gomti Nagar are some of the worst affected localities. People also complained that water being supplied is contaminated and cannot be used for drinking purposes without purifying.

(2012-06-22/timesofindia)