The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to entertain a public interest litigation (PIL) challenging India’s existing standards for packaged drinking water, observing that large sections of the country still lack access to basic drinking water, particularly in rural areas.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi described the petition as a case of “luxury litigation” and criticised what it termed an urban-centric approach to the issue. The petitioner, Sarang Vaman Yadwadkar, had sought directions to mandate stricter bottled water quality norms in India, arguing that current standards were outdated and should be aligned with Euro-2 benchmarks.
Rejecting the plea, the Chief Justice noted that concerns over bottled water quality pale in comparison to the reality that millions of Indians still struggle for safe drinking water.
“People don’t even have access to basic drinking water in the country. The issue of quality will come later,” the bench remarked.
The court cautioned against blindly adopting standards followed in developed countries such as the UK, Europe, Saudi Arabia, or Australia, stating that India’s socio-economic conditions and infrastructure challenges are vastly different.
“This is an urban phobia,” the Chief Justice said, emphasising that rural populations largely depend on groundwater for daily consumption.
The apex court further observed that regulatory standards for packaged drinking water are already governed by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and stressed the need to prioritise equitable access to drinking water before debating premium quality benchmarks.
When the petitioner contested the characterization of the case as luxury litigation, the bench advised him to travel across the country to understand the ground realities, invoking Mahatma Gandhi’s nationwide travels after his return from South Africa.
While dismissing the PIL, the Supreme Court allowed the petitioner to withdraw the plea and granted him liberty to approach the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) or other competent authorities to raise concerns regarding bottled water regulations.
Originally published on 24×7-news.com.
