Supreme Court Highlights Water Scarcity Issues in India

Supreme Court Addresses Water Quality Standards

On Thursday, the Supreme Court emphasized that a significant portion of India still faces a shortage of basic drinking water. The court declined to hear a petition challenging the standards for packaged drinking water in the country. The bench, led by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justice Joymalya Bagchi, referred to the case as a 'luxury litigation,' pointing out that it reflects urban concerns while rural areas heavily rely on groundwater.

The court noted that many citizens lack access to essential drinking water. Chief Justice Chandrachud remarked to the petitioner, Sarang Vaman Yadavwadkar, that the issue of quality would be addressed later. He urged the petitioner to consider the ground realities in India, stating that the country cannot blindly adopt guidelines from the U.S. or Europe.

The Chief Justice questioned whether, given the challenges India faces regarding drinking water, it is feasible to implement standards from countries like the UK, Saudi Arabia, and Australia. He highlighted that the standards for packaged water in India are set by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and criticized the petition as indicative of an urban-centric perspective. He urged for patience in development, emphasizing that many in rural areas depend on groundwater and that the fears stem from urbanization.