HC takes up cause of untreated water supplied to panchayats

Taking strong exception to untreated water being supplied to villagers even after 73 years of independence, the Madras High Court on Tuesday suo motu impleaded the secretaries of Municipal Administration and Rural Development in a case and directed them to explain in separate affidavits as to how panchayats merely pumping water from a tank (water body) to overhead tanks for supply in villages through pipelines could become potable water.

During a virtual hearing, the division bench comprising Justice M Sathyanarayanan and Justice R Hemalatha were livid over the government submission that the present water supply pattern in panchayats is about pumping water from a source to fill up overhead tanks and thereafter supplied to the villages through pipelines. Wondering as to whether the Bureau of Indian standards on water quality would not apply to those in the Panchayat, Justice Sathayanaryanan said, 

“By any standards the water thus supplied cannot be potable. It is unfortunate that the government is yet to provide people with a glass of clean water in villages.” When the government advocate contended that even the NGT has held that there is no need for installation of treatment plants for water supply in Panchayats and that periodical checks are done, Justice Sathyanarayanan on expressing surprise at the stand taken asserted that a check of water in village tanks would reveal all kinds Coliform bacteria and other pollutants in it. Following this, the bench held that the issue needs to be taken up with the secretaries as to how such supply of untreated water is allowed to pass as potable water, suo motu impleaded them and sought their response before November 11, when the case is posted for further hearing.