Complaint against #ThaneMunicipalCorporation under #Section91OfCPC for cutting Water supply

February 5, 2016

The Principal & District Sessions Judge,

Thane District Court,

Thane.

Respected Sir,

Sub: Complaint against Thane Municipal Corporation under Section 91 of CPC 1908, (C.P.C.), India – Suits Relating to Public Matters

With reference to the above, we want to submit as under:

1)    Thane citizens will have to face major water cuts during weekends starting this week for 48 hours beginning 12 midnight of February 5 till February 7, midnight.
Thane city receives water from MIDC, STEM, BMC and TMC every day. The municipalities in the region have decided to opt for water cuts on weekends, owing to the decreasing levels of water in dams.

2)    Complete water cut from MIDC that will begin from February 5 to February 7 will affect areas like Kalwa, Vitawa, Mumbra, Diva, Shil, Kausa, Daighar, Indira Nagar's Rupadevi pada, Wagle fire brigade, Jail, Rutupark, Siddheshwar, Uthalsar, Saket, Mahagiri, Naupada and Pachpakhadi.

3)    Complete water cuts form STEM will affect areas like Indira Ngar, Gandhinagar, Srinagar, Samta Nagar, Tekdi Bungalow, Ghodbunder road, Patlipada, Pawar Nagar, Kothari compound, Azad Nagar, Dongripada, Waghbil and Owala.

4)    MIDC provides water supply from Ulhas river and STEM company provides water from Bhatsa and Barvi dams. 

5)    We have no objection to the Thane Municipal Corporation regulating water supply in view of the scarce rain fall this year. However, what we are objecting is the Corporation deciding to introduce water cuts on weekends and that too for 2 consecutive days – every Saturday and Sunday.

6)    Thane receives 470 million liters (MLD) water daily to serve 18 lakh population, but activists claim that more than 20% of water is wasted in leakages and theft.

7)    The Thane Municipal Corporation Press note regarding the water cuts reads thus:

ठाणे महानगरपालिका
माहिती व जनसंपर्क विभाग
E-mail – publicrelationtmc@gmail.com

वृत्तविशेष क्र. 284                        दिनांक : 3 फेब्रुवारी, 2016.

ठाणे शहराचा पाणी पुरवठा बंद राहणार
ठाणे (3) : बारवी व भातसा धरणातील उपलब्ध पाणी साठयाच्या नियोजनाबाबत कार्यकारी अभियंता, लघुपाटबंधारे विभाग यांनी पाणी कपात करण्याचे कळविले असल्याने स्टेम पाणी पुरवठा कंपनीकडून होणारा पाणी पुरवठा यापुढे दर शनिवारी बंद ठेवण्यात येणार आहे.  त्यामुळे शुक्रवार दिनांक 5 फेब्रुवारी, 2016 रोजी रात्रौ 12.00 ते शनिवार दिनांक 6 फेब्रुवारी, 2016 रोजी रात्रौ 12.00 पर्यंत पाणी पुरवठा बंद राहणार असून या कालावधीत इंदिरानगर, गांधीनगर, श्रीनगर, समतानगर, टेकडी बंगला, घोडबंदर रोड, पातलीपाडा, पवारनगर, कोठारी कंपाऊंड, आझादनगर,   डोंगरीपाडा, वाघबीळ, ओवळा या परिसराचा पाणी पुरवठा (24 तास) बंद राहणार आहे.

        तसेच शुक्रवार दिनांक 5 फेब्रुवारी, 2016 रोजी रात्रौ 12.00 ते रविवार दिनांक 7 फेब्रुवारी, 2016 रोजी रात्रौ 12.00 पर्यंत पाणी पुरवठा बंद राहणार असून या कालावधीत जेल, ऋतुपार्क, सिध्देश्वर, उथळसर, साकेत, महागिरी, नौपाडा, पाचपाखाडी व कळव्याचा काही भाग या परिसराचा पाणी पुरवठा (48 तास) बंद राहणार आहे.

      या शटडाऊनमुळे पुढील एक ते दोन दिवस कमी दाबाने पाणी पुरवठा होणार असून, नागरिकांनी पालिकेस सहकार्य करावे असे आवाहन पाणी पुरवठा विभागाने या प्रसिध्दीपत्रकाव्दारे केले आहे.

8)    These complete water cuts are going to cause great hardships and nuisance for the residents of Thane. The two consecutive day water cut actually spills over on the third day as the water supply will be restarted at midnight of Sunday-Monday. Then for the water to accumaulate and pumped up to the water tank takes atleast 8 hours and so regular water supply can be resumed on by Monday afternoon.

9)    Monday being the first day of the working week, residents will be left with virtually empty tanks on that morning and risk going late to work.

10)  In view of the above situation, we want to file a complaint before you under section 91 of CPC – which reads as under:

(1) In the case of a public nuisance or other wrongful act affecting or likely to affect the public, a suit for a declaration and injunction or for such other relief as may be appropriate in the circumstances of the case, may be instituted,—

(a) By the Advocate-General, or

(b) With the leave of the court, by two or more persons, even though no special damage has been caused to such persons by reason of such public nuisance or other wrongful act.

(2) Nothing in this section shall be deemed to limit or otherwise affect any right of suit which may exist independently of its provisions.

Meaning of Public Nuisance:

The term “public nuisance” occurring in S. 91 has not been defined in the Code of Civil Procedure. It is an act which interferes with the enjoyment of a right which all members of the community are entitled to, such as the right to fresh air, water, to travel on the highways, etc. (Osborn).

Prayer:

We pray that the honourable court may direct the Thane Municipal Corporation to stop this practice of inflicting complete water cuts on two consecutive days – and that too weekends, i.e. Saturday and Sunday and may have in on two staggered days during the week.

For Alert Citizens Forum of India,

Dayanand J. Nene (8879528575)           Adv Rajendra Abhyankar ( 9867712102)

(CONVENER)