Fee charged for drinking water prevents misuse: DMRC

In an affidavit filed before a Delhi High Court Bench, which is hearing a lawyer’s appeal against an order of a single judge that a Delhi Metro commuter does not have the right to drink water for free, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) said that a nominal fee is charged for drinking water and using toilets at the stations to prevent the misuse of these facilities.

The DMRC, however, told the Bench of Justices S. Ravindra Bhat and A.K. Chawla that someone who is unable to pay the charges will be provided drinking water or allowed to use toilets for free if they approach the staff at the stations.

The single judge had said that a person has the right to drink water at stations, but not for free.

Water ATMs, shops

The DMRC said that it has set up water ATMs at its stations that provide water at a charge of ₹2 per glass. It said that there are kiosks and shops, which sell drinking water, adding that commuters are also free to carry their own water bottles.

The affidavit said that Metro stations cannot be equated with airports as a Metro commuter stays at a station for around five minutes, unlike airports where one waits for hours.

The affidavit was filed in response to the court’s query on the last date of hearing regarding the DMRC’s policy to not provide free drinking water to the passengers.

A Bench had pulled up Delhi Metro for not providing free drinking water or toilet facilities to commuters at stations, asking if it had lost “a sense of human problems”. “You go anywhere in the world, there are toilets at the Metro stations. Show us the data and reasons for not providing these facilities. You have this policy in place for the last 14 years,” the Bench had said.