In a ruling that will immediately affect over 5 lakh defective water meter connections, the Delhi high court has ruled that it is the fundamental duty of a citizen to pay for the water consumed.


In a ruling that will immediately affect over five lakh defective water meter connections, the Delhi high court on Wednesday ordered their replacement and said proper metering of water supply is compulsory in the city. A division bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Sanjiv Khanna, while hearing a PIL, ruled that it is the fundamental duty of a citizen to pay for the water consumed. It gave the Delhi Jal Board four weeks' time to begin the process of removing defective meters.

The bench rejected the demand of the petitioners, who had filed the PIL, that DJB be asked to replace the old water meters with new ones. The court pointed out that in most cases citizens were paying less and consuming more water solely due to absence of a proper meter due to shortage of the same with DJB. It's the consumer who must foot the bill to purchase and maintain a meter, the court held.

The bench further asked Sumeet Pushkarna, counsel for DJB, to bring out a list of licensed outlets from where consumers can purchase a water meter along with a list of plumbers who shall be provided by DJB to residents for installing the meter.

"Do citizens have a right to consume water without paying for the facility?" the bench wondered, answering in the negative as it reminded the petitioners, Old Rajinder Nagar RWA, that it's the duty of the consumers to pay for using water.

Read More on: Times Of India