May 7th, 2004

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS

WRIT PETITION (CIVIL) No. 657/1995
RESEARCH FOUNDATION FOR SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY & ENVIRONMENT Petitioners

VS

UOI & Others Respondents

Honorable Mr. Justice Y.K. Sabharwal and Honorable Mr. Justice S.B. Sinha

Upon hearing the counsel the court made the following
ORDER
We have perused the second quarterly report from February 2004-April 2004 filed by the monitoring committee to oversee the implementation of directions passed in this writ petition. The report records that due to indiscriminate dumping of hazardous waste due to non existent or negligent practices together with lack of enforcement, the ground water and therefore, drinking water supplies have been effected/damaged. The State Government of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat are directed to take steps to supply fresh drinking water in tanks or pipes particularly, taking into consideration, the fact that summer season has already set in. It shall be done expeditiously. Industrial estates of Vapi, Ankleshwar and Vadodara in the state of Gujarat and Union Carbide plant in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh were inspected by the committee. The two state governments would ensure supply of water in such villages, areas which are effected, list whereof has already been given by learned counsel for the petitioner to learned counsel appearing from two states.

Regarding supply to overhead tanks as mentioned in Clause IV of Point 1.5, the government shall ensure release of water through overhead tanks as expeditiously as possible.

Signed
N. Annapurna
V.P. Tyagi
Court Master