VOICE OF INDIA Vs. UNION OF INDIA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Petitioner has filed this petition alleging that the right to free drinking water is part of Right to Life under Article 21of the Constitution. Consequently, petitioner prays that water be supplied to every citizen in this country free of cost. In this connection, petitioner has submitted that the various State Governments, including, Delhi should be directed to arrange for free potable drinking water through MCDs and NDMCs.

(2.) In this writ petition all the States and Union Territories are made party-respondents.

(3.) We are fully conscious of the fact that even after 60 years a citizen of this country is not getting clean potable water. In this regard, we agree with the petitioner. It is, however, not possible for this Court to monitor and grant relief(s) to the petitioner on all India basis. Moreover, as stated above, the petitioner seeks relief(s) essentially against municipal corporations in each State because supply of clean potable water is the function of municipal corporations and other local bodies. Even instances given in the annexures relate to different sectors/localities within the municipalities in different States.