Delhi Metro says cannot provide free drinking water; Court steps in

The Delhi High Court on Monday has asked the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation as to how it can justify not providing free water to commuters. This service is available with the Kochi metro, Jaipur metro, Lucknow metro.

Delhi Metro has been asked to provide a plan that will formulate free water service to the commuters at any location inside every metro station so that it is accessible to everyone, by a bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice VK Rao.

The court asked for the information as Delhi Metro in an affidavit has said that in stations where water ATMs or kiosks are not available its officials can be approached by those in need of water.

"Clarify how you (DMRC) will implement it. Clarify if you can provide free drinking water at one particular point in a station which is accessible to all commuters," the affidavit said, listing the matter for October 11.

The DMRC told the bench that it can provide signs on the metro stations indicating where free drinking water would be available in case of an emergency.

Delhi Metro also said it has set up water ATMs at its stations which provide water at a charge of Rs 2 per glass and apart from that there are kiosks and shops which sell drinking water. It also said that commuters are free to carry their own drinking water.

Delhi Metro had earlier told the court that only a nominal fee was charged by it for drinking water and toilets at its stations to prevent misuse of these facilities.

The court was hearing an appeal against a single judge's order that a commuter on the metro does not have the right to free drinking water.

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The single judge had said that a person has a right to drinking water, but not for free.

The order had come on a plea by an advocate, who had sought directions to the DMRC to provide free drinking water and toilets at its stations.

The court had earlier this year pulled up the Delhi Metro for not providing free drinking water or toilet facilities to commuters inside the stations, asking whether it has lost "a sense of human problems".