Third time: HC slams BMC over dirty water

For the second time in a fortnight, the Bombay High Court came down hard on the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for supplying contaminated water to a building at Worli. Two pregnant women, both residents of Panchsheel Society, died in April 2010 after drinking the water.

On February 17, the court warned the BMC: “People’s tolerance should not be tested.” On Tuesday, the division bench of Justice PB Majmudar and Justice Amjad Sayed said citizens’ health is paramount. “All is not well at your [the BMC’s] end,” said Justice Majmudar.

Siddharth Khandagale and Rajnish Kamble filed a PIL last year after Vrushali Pawar, 26, and Kavita Aitala, 23, residents of the slum rehabilitation building, died due to water-borne diseases.

Unhappy with the delay in the filing of a police case, Justice Majmudar said: “[Ajmal] Kasab [the lone terrorist captured alive during the November 26, 2008, attacks] was not an Indian. You [the BMC] are. It is your duty to protect citizens.”

The BMC, on February 24, filed a first information report under Section 379 (theft) of the Indian Penal Code against GL Tambe, secretary of Panchsheel.

An angry Justice Majmudar said: “If contaminated water is provided with the knowledge that it could kill somebody, it is culpable homicide.”