Delhi High Court: People commuting through Metro have no right to free drinking water

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Delhi High Court: People commuting through Metro have no right to free drinking water
Delhi High Court: People commuting through Metro have no right to free drinking water

The order came after the court noted the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation’s submissions on affidavit that there were 128 water dispensing kiosks and over 200 shops in the stations where water was available, but at a price.

A commuter on the metro does not possess a right to free drinking water, said the High Court of Delhi on Monday while disposing of a lawyer’s plea seeking toilets, drinking water and dustbins at all the stations in Delhi.

Justice Vibhu Bakhru said the petitioner has  the complete right to drinking water, but not free of charge.

The said order was passed after the court noted the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation’s (DMRC) submissions on affidavit that there were 128 water dispensing kiosks and over 200 shops at the stations where water was available, but at a price.

Advocate Jatan Singh who represented DMRC, said there were ‘PILO’ mobile outlets outside 35 stations where drinking water is sold at a price of Rs 2 for 250 ml and Rs 5 for one litre.

It said it proposed to award contracts for setting up 64 more ‘PILO’ mobile outlets and it was only the newly constructed stations, numbering around 15, where drinking water was not available. Concerning the facilities of toilets, the DMRC said, it was available at 130 stations and where the facility was not available, commuters could use the staff toilets in case of an emergency.

The DMRC was directed by the HC  to put up appropriate signages in this regard in order to inform the commuters.

The Delhi metro on the issue of dustbins said to the court, it did not place them at stations due to security reasons , but now it was proposing  to place transparent bins at the stations. The court said, dustbins are a necessity and they have to be made available at  public places like the metro stations.

The court directed the DMRC to immediately place the dustbins outside the stations if it was not possible inside. With directions and observations, the court disposed of the plea by lawyer Kush Kalra. Advocate Kush Sharma, appearing for the petitioner, had argued earlier for the availability of water being free of charge.

 

 

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