New Delhi: On August 21, the Delhi High Court strongly criticized Public Works Department (PWD) officials over the state of sewer lines at Tihar Central Jail. The court said judges had been “reduced to municipal commissioners” while dealing with issues of basic sanitation that endangered the health of inmates.
A division bench of Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela noted that prisoners were living in unhygienic conditions due to clogged and unconnected sewer systems.
Petition Exposes Poor Sanitation
The matter arose from a petition filed by life convict Sonu Dahiya, who highlighted the severe drainage problems inside Tihar. He stated that inmates were forced to live amid unbearable sanitary conditions.
During the hearing, the bench grilled a PWD official on why the sewer lines laid in 2024 had still not been connected to the main sewage system. Prison authorities, the judges noted, had repeatedly written letters requesting cleaning and completion of the work, but their appeals went unanswered.
Court Questions Delays
“Can you understand the problem faced by inmates due to the sanitation issue of sewage lines?” the bench asked sternly.
The PWD official replied that a tender for cleaning had been issued. However, the court questioned why the tender was floated during the monsoon and suggested that higher officials may need to be summoned for approving such delays.
Temporary Measures and Timeline
The official assured the court that temporary cleaning measures had started, with completion expected by August 25. At present, only one supersucker machine had been deployed, but additional machines would be pressed into service to accelerate the work.
The court was also informed that the sewer lines laid in 2024 would be fully connected to the main sewage system within four weeks. The tender for this work, officials confirmed, had now been finalized.
