High Court slams PWD over Tihar sewer mess

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday came down heavily on the Public Works Department (PWD) for failing to connect sewer lines in Tihar Jail to the main drainage system, saying the judiciary had been “reduced to municipal commissioners”.

A Bench of Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela was hearing a public interest litigation filed by life convict Sonu Dahiya, who complained of unhygienic living conditions inside the prison by overflowing and choked sewers.

During the hearing, the court questioned the PWD’s Executive Engineer on why the sewer lines laid in 2024 were left unconnected. The Bench pointed out that the jail authorities had repeatedly written letters, not just about linking the lines to the main system but also about routine cleaning.

The officer said a tender had been issued for the cleaning. Unimpressed, the Bench remarked: “The need of cleaning arises only due to non-connection of sewage lines to main sewage line because of which there is choking. And you are aware about it since March. Why you have woken up only when this petition has been filed? Why did you not attend the problem in March or April or before monsoon? Why did you wait for the petition to be filed? Are we Municipal Corporation?”

It added further: “Can you understand the problem faced by the inmates due to sanitation problem of sewage lines? You float the tender during the mid of the monsoon…Should we summon the authority responsible for approval (of tender)?…We have been reduced to Municipal Commissioners. How long would it take for you to clean (the sewage lines)?”

The court took on record a status report filed by the Superintendent of Tihar Jail. It also recorded the statement of the Executive Engineer that cleaning had been started as a temporary measure and would be finished by August 25.

The officer told the Bench that while only one supersucker machine was currently in use, more would be deployed in the coming days to meet the deadline. He further assured that the sewer lines laid last year would be connected to the main system within four weeks, with the tender for the work already finalised.

The matter has been listed for further monitoring after the completion of the work.