Test Potability, Storage And Supply Of Drinking Water To Prisoners In Central Jail Jabalpur: High Court Directs Jail Superintendent

While hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition highlighting allegedly unsanitary drinking water conditions for inmates of Central Jail in Jabalpur, the Madhya Pradesh High Court directed the jail Superintendent to get the drinking water tested for its potability and indicate how it is stored and supplied to the inmates. 

Issuing notice on the PIL petition a division bench of Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva (who was the Acting Chief Justice when the matter was listed) and Justice Vinay Saraf in its September 23 order said:

"The Superintendent, Central Jail Jabalpur shall have the drinking water tested from an approved laboratory for its potability and reports be submitted before the next date of hearing. The Superintendent of Jail shall also file the report as to how the potable drinking water is stored and supplied to the Jail inmates". 

The high court further directed the concerned District Judge to inspect the Jail premises and submit a report as well. The matter is next listed on October 23. 

The PIL petition filed by Advocate Amitabha Gupta, discusses issues regarding water storage and the distribution system in the jail stating that it violates the fundamental right to life of the inmates as provided under Article 21 of the Constitution of India. The petition also highlights the potential risks of waterborne diseases due to unhygienic storage methods, raising a broader issue that might affect other prisons across Madhya Pradesh.

According to the petition, there are serious health hazards associated with the current water delivery arrangements, which relies on pots, buckets, and campers for storage because there is no adequate sanitary system in place. The plea states that these storage methods leave the water subject to contamination, therefore jeopardising the inmates' health and dignity.

The petitioner has contended that information received under the Right to Information (RTI) Act shows that the manner in which drinking water is stored for the Jail inmates, the water will get contaminated and they are probably not being supplied potable drinking water

The plea states that water for the jail is provided by the Municipal Corporation and kept in separate barracks, according to the information the petitioner obtained under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. However, the jail does not have tools such as dippers to hygienically distribute water, therefore prisoners are forced to use their own tumblers for security reasons, it adds. 

The petition further mentions a violation of the international human rights standards, specifically the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners. These rules, especially Rule 22, require that prisoners shall have continuous access to safe drinking water and the current system in the Central Jail falls fails these standards, thereby infringing upon the basic rights of the inmates, it adds. 

Case title: Amitabha Gupta Vs The State Of Madhya Pradesh And Others

Case no: WP No. 28117 of 2024

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