‘A Tap Is Not Access To Water’: CJI Surya Kant Flags Gaps In Safe Water Supply

Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant on Monday stressed that the government must establish and maintain reliable water supply systems to protect human dignity and uphold constitutional rights.

Key Takeaways

Speaking at the National Human Rights Commission’s (NHRC) 33rd Foundation Day function in New Delhi, the CJI urged authorities to ensure safe, reliable and timely water supplies through coordinated efforts.

Describing water as essential to health, education, dignity and livelihoods, CJI Surya Kant further noted that unreliable supplies disproportionately affect women who spend hours collecting water and farmers who depend on irrigation.

The CJI acknowledged wider access to rural tap-water connections but stressed the need for consistent and safe supplies.

“A mere tap is not the same as access to water. A pipe that runs dry cannot fulfil the promise that the pipe represents,” he said, warning that arsenic, fluoride and other contaminants posed serious public health risks.

CJI Surya Kant said the right to life extended beyond mere survival to include healthcare, food, shelter, livelihoods and a clean environment. He further noted that Supreme Court jurisprudence recognises pollution-free water and air as integral to this right.

The CJI highlighted the role of civil society and international institutions in identifying challenges, sharing scientific knowledge and strengthening cooperation.

“Water itself teaches us something consequential: it crosses boundaries. Our response to it must do the same,” he said.

Urging society to protect aquifers, rivers and drinking water sources, CJI Surya Kant further emphasised the responsibility to preserve these resources for future generations.

The NHRC marked its 33rd Foundation Day with a conference titled ‘Water – The Elixir of Life’, focusing on the link between water, human dignity and fundamental rights.

NHRC Chairperson Justice V Ramasubramanian, members Bidyut Ranjan Sarangi, Vijaya Bharathi Sayani and Priyank Kanoongo, Secretary General Piyush Goyal and other dignitaries attended the event.

Also Read: ‘A Right That Fails The Powerless Is No Right’: CJI Surya Kant’s Message On Human Rights