HC directs closure of pvt drinking water suppliers illegally

: Observing that no lessons seem to have been learnt from the severe water crisis that crippled the city in 2019 and illegal tapping of groundwater by private drinking water suppliers was still being permitted, the Madras High Court has ordered immediate closure of such units.

All such units which are closed under this order will not be allowed to re-operate and extract water unless and until they strictly comply with the conditions and obtain due permission to extract underground water.

Such information should be supplied to this court in advance and only after the permission of this court, they should be allowed to undertake this manufacture activity again, a division bench of Justices Vineet Kothari and R Suresh Kumar said.

The bench passed the interim order on a PIL moved by M V Sivamuthu of Neat India organisation, seeking penal action against such industries that exploit groundwater without appropriate licence under the Chennai Metropolitan Ground Water Regulation Act, 1987.

The petitioner alleged that drinking water manufacturers having industries within Chennai metropolitan area were extracting groundwater without getting the no objection certificate from the PWD, as mandated by law.

When the plea came up for hearing, the water suppliers submitted they had obtained NOC from PWD in 2019 and since the certificate had expired, they were in the process of obtaining or renewing the same.

Recording the submission, the bench directed the authorities concerned at PWD to ensure complete closure of such units manufacturing purified water, which do not hold valid NOC or permission from either PWD or CMWSSB and submit a compliance report on the next date of hearing.

The bench also directed S Prabhakaran, PWD chief engineer, state ground and surface water resources data centre, to be present before the court on February 6 with the compliance report and also provide data on how many units are engaged in such purified water manufacturing industry in the state and how many had valid permissions from the authorities.