Nw18 Bombay High Court Directs Inspection of Taloja Jail After Plea Alleges Supply of Only 1 ½ bucket of Water
The petitioner alleged there was not an adequate supply of water for the inmates in jail. The additional public prosecutor submitted that inmates were given 10 buckets of water daily.
A division bench of the Bombay High Court comprising Justice Revati Mohite Dere and Justice Gauri Godse had recently directed the Secretary of the District Legal Service Authority to visit Taloja Jail to inspect whether the jail has wells in working conditions and whether the tanks from which water is supplied are cleaned in a plea filed by Abhay Shamsundar Kurundkar who alleged that inmates were getting 1 ½ bucket of water for an entire day.
“The Secretary, DLSA, Raigad, to see whether the wells are in working condition; whether the water tanks from where water is supplied have been cleaned; and whether rain water harvesting can be available in Taloja Jail. The Secretary, DLSA, Raigad, to also interact with the inmates of Taloja Jail, and verify the supply of water, the quality of water made available to the inmates,” the bench directed.
The bench also recorded that none of the officers from the jail would remain present during the interaction with the inmates.
“None of the officers from the Jail will remain present during the interaction of the Secretary, DLSA, Raigad, with the inmates. Accordingly, the Secretary, DLSA, Raigad, to submit his report before this Court on 22nd June, 2023. It is open for the Secretary, DLSA, Raigad, to incorporate other details with respect to water supply to Taloja Jail inmates,” the bench recorded.
The petitioner in his plea had sought adequate water for the inmates of the jail. It was further prayed that CIDCO be directed to provide adequate water to Taloja Jail, as presently, the inmates are only getting 1½ buckets of water for the entire day, which is grossly inadequate.
The bench issued a notice to CIDCO on June 8. The counsel for the CIDCO and the section officer in its reply stated that the water supply in the jail was inadequate and that about three lakh litres of more water is required for the inmates.
The bench also took on record that certain letters have been sent by the Government to CIDCO, including one in the last week, requesting more water supply. Accordingly, CIDCO increased the size of the pipeline from 80 MM to 100 MM, however, the water supply was still inadequate for the inmates of Taloja Jail.
The Additional Public Prosecutor informed the court that there were two wells within the premises of Taloja Jail and that both are functioning and that one of the wells has been repaired recently. The court was also informed that there was no system of rainwater harvesting and the inmates were given about 10 buckets of water daily, which was refuted by the petitioner.
The DLSA was directed to visit the jail on 17th June and submit a report. The matter will now be taken up by the bench on 22nd June.
Case title: Abhay Shamsundar Kurundkar vs State of Maharashtra