Now, civic concern over contaminated water supply in Rail Vihar area

Plea after plea is being filed before the Permanent Lok Adalat, Jalandhar, as civic concerns mount following a public appeal by a group of lawyers urging residents to raise issues affecting daily life.

Days after a complaint was lodged regarding the deteriorating condition of Guru Nanak Pura road, a new application has now been submitted over the supply of contaminated drinking water in the Rail Vihar locality.

The latest petition, filed by legal activist advocate Mayan Ranaut, calls for urgent intervention to ensure safe drinking water for residents. The complaint states that the existing pipeline system in the area is severely compromised, leading to the mixing of sewage with the drinking water supply. Despite repeated complaints, authorities have allegedly failed to take effective action, prompting residents to escalate the matter to the court.

The application, filed through counsels Vikram Dutta and Taranum Ranaut, argues that access to clean drinking water is not only a basic civic necessity but also a fundamental right protected under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution, which guarantees the right to life.

A bench of the Permanent Lok Adalat has taken cognisance of the issue and issued notices to the Commissioner, Municipal Corporation and the Executive Engineer of the Water Supply and Sanitation Department. They have been asked to file their response, and the matter has been fixed for hearing on June 19. The legal move forms part of a wider campaign under the banner of ‘Jaagda Punjab Morcha’, which seeks to push for greater accountability from public officials and safeguard citizens’ rights through legal recourse.

“With the floodgates now open for civic complaints, more such applications are expected in the coming days, as residents find a platform in the Permanent Lok Adalat to voice grievances long ignored by local authorities,” said advocate Ranaut.