‘Luxury litigation’: SC junks PIL on packaged drinking water standards

New Delhi, Dec 18 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to entertain a PIL seeking enforcement of international standards for packaged drinking water, saying this is a case of “luxury litigation” in a country where a large population still lacks access to basic drinking water.

“Where is the drinking water in this country, Madam? People do not have drinking water; the quality of bottled water will come later on,” Chief Justice Surya Kant, who was sitting with Justice Joymalya Bagchi, said, adding that these are “luxury litigations”.

The PIL, filed by one Sarang Vaman Yadwadkar, sought directions to improve and align Indian standards for packaged drinking water with global benchmarks, including those prescribed by the World Health Organization.

At the outset, the CJI questioned the very premise of the petition, observing that the court could not lose sight of the broader realities faced by the country.

Senior advocate Anita Shenoy, appearing for the petitioner, said the issue directly concerned public health and consumer safety.

She submitted that citizens were entitled to clean and safe packaged drinking water and relied on Section 18 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, which mandates adherence to prescribed safety norms.

She contended that statutory obligations could not be diluted merely because access to drinking water remained uneven across the country.

The bench remained unconvinced and described the plea as reflective of an “urban-centric approach”.

“This is an urban-centric approach; the people in rural areas drink groundwater, and nothing happens to them,” the CJI said.

“Do you think we will be able to introduce the USA, Japan, EU guidelines? Let us face the ground realities of the country. Nobody takes up the cause of the poor; all this is rich and urbanised phobia,” the CJI said.

Sensing the outcome, the counsel sought to withdraw the PIL with the liberty to approach the FSSAI with the grievances. The bench allowed the withdrawal.

Concluding the hearing, the CJI said, “When Gandhi came to India, he travelled to all parts of the country. Ask the petitioner to travel to the poor parts where there is a challenge even to get water, then he will understand what India is.” PTI SJK SJK KVK KVK