Nominal fees for water, toilets to prevent misuse: DMRC to HC

NEW DELHI: Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has told the Delhi High Court that it charges a nominal fee for drinking water and toilets at its stations, so as to prevent misuse of these facilities.

The Corporation, however, added that if someone is unable to pay the charges, they will be provided drinking water or allowed to use the toilets free of cost, if they approach the staff at the stations.

The submissions by DMRC were made in an affidavit filed before a bench of Justice S Ravindra Bhat and Justice AK Chawla, which is hearing a lawyer's appeal against a single judge's order that a commuter on Delhi Metro does not have a right to free drinking water.

The single judge had said that a person has a right to drinking water, but not for free.

The order had come on a plea by advocate Kush Kalra, who had sought directions to the DMRC to provide free drinking water and toilets at its stations.

In his plea, filed through advocate Kush Sharma, Kalra also alleged that there is a lack of dustbins inside several Metro stations.

Refuting the claims of the petitioner, the Metro – in its affidavit – said it has set up water ATMS at its stations, which provide water at a charge of Rs 2 per glass.

Additionally, there are kiosks and shops that sell drinking water, the affidavit said, adding that commuters are also free to carry their own drinking water.

DMRC also stated that it has put in place transparent dustbins in all stations.

The affidavit further stated that the Delhi Metro stations cannot be equated with airports, as commuters stay at a station for around five minutes, while they have to wait for hours at airports.

The affidavit was filed in response to the court's query on the last date of hearing regarding the DMRC'S policy to not provide free drinking water to the passengers.

The bench, on the last date, had pulled up Delhi Metro for not providing free drinking water or toilet facilities to commuters inside the stations, asking whether it has lost "a sense of human problems".

"You go anywhere in the world, there are toilets in the metro stations. In London, the volume of traffic is not as much as we have. Show us the data and reasons for not providing these facilities. You have this policy in place for the last 14 years," the bench had said at the last hearing.