Shimla Water Crisis: Make Whatsapp Group; Create Jingles On Water Conservation: Himachal Pradesh HC [Read Order]

Continuing with its crusade to do its bit in tackling effectively the acute water shortage being faced my residents in Shimla, the Himachal Pradesh High Court on Friday issued another set of directions addressing various issues being faced by the city people.The Bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Sanjay Karol and Justice Ajay Mohan Goel directed creation of a Whatsapp group for effective coordination by the municipal authorities in supplying water to various zones in the city. It also ordered that jingles be aired by the civic body, in order to sensationalize people about the importance of water conservations.Besides, the Court ordered media to exercise restraint in reporting of the issue, so that tourists are not dissuaded from visiting the city. It ordered, "Taking into consideration the historic importance of the Town, as also the factum of Shimla being world over known as “the Queen of Hills”, which attracts tourists from the entire world, Media to exercise restraint and not sensationalize the issue so as to dissuade the tourists from visiting Shimla. We are not even remotely suggesting that the Media should not report the facts, but what we are observing is that Media should restrain from publishing material which may be construed as a message that tourists are either not welcome in the town or that the tourists should not visit the town."Here are all the directions issued by the Court:Whatsapp Group for regular updates and coordination on water supply in different zones If not already constituted, a dedicated Whatsapp group be constituted forthwith, supervised by the Assistant Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Shimla, consisting of said officer as also Municipal Engineer, Municipal Corporation, Shimla and all Junior Engineers dealing with the supply of potable water, deployed with Municipal Corporation, Shimla, which group shall share details of water received from various Schemes for the purpose of distribution by the Corporation and also the details of its distribution Zonewise, which Zones have been so constituted by the Committee framed by the State. There should be hourly updates in this regard in the group. Junior Engineer concerned shall share details of all Keymen under them, including the timing and the place where each Keyman has either opened the key for allowing the water to flow or closed the same. Update in this regard on the Whatsapp group has to be within five minutes of the actual act being performed by the Keyman at the site. Details of water controlling valves (Keys) of each of the Keymen, presently holding the Key, shall be made available to Sh. P.P. Ranta, Member Secretary, Himachal Pradesh State Legal Services Authority within 24 hours, for the purposes of monitoring the uploading of such information. All Keymen be sensitized that if not on Whatsapp, then they should provide said information forthwith from their Mobiles to the concerned Junior Engineer(s). We hold each Junior Engineer responsible to update this data on the Whatsapp group and any laxity exercised by anyone, shall amount to contempt of orders passed by this Court. Surveillance of Keymen; recording of video of turning the key on and off In order to check inequitable distribution of water by the Keyman, all Keymen shall be kept under surveillance and they shall be accompanied by at least two police officials and the activity of turning On and Off the Key shall be video recorded. This can easily be done through the smart phones carried by the officials, for the number of keymen are just 62 in number. Immediate action on overflowing of water The factum of overflowing of water shall be forthwith shared on the Whatsapp and immediate remedial measures shall be taken in this regard not later than 30 minutes of the receipt of said information. Corporation shall be at liberty to forthwith disconnect the water connections of persons/parties whose acts of omission result in such overflowing of water pending further action. Preparation of jingles Jingles be prepared and aired by the Municipal Corporation, Shimla to both educate and sensitize the public at large that prudent usage of water is the need of the hour and also as to what steps should be taken by the public to conserve and save water. In addition, State Legal Services Authority to also prepare and air such like jingles so as to sensitize the public in this regard, also informing the factum of the members of the High Court Bar Association and the PLVs assisting the officers of the Municipal Corporation. Elected representatives of corporation to be involved Elected representatives of the Corporation be positively involved in the act of sensitizing the public of the Wards concerned, of the need to cooperate with the Cooperation in the process of distribution of water. If any of such elected representatives is found to be acting against the interest of the public at large or the Corporation, then the said fact shall be forthwith reported to the Court for...

Shimla Water Crisis: Make Whatsapp Group; Create Jingles On Water Conservation: Himachal Pradesh HC [Read Order]

Apoorva Mandhani

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