On design for water cans, Madras HC says courts not shopping malls

CHENNAI: The Madras high court on Monday dismissed a PIL seeking changes in the design of bubble-top water cans so that even women can lift and handle the cans with ease.
“Courts are not shopping malls where you can go buy every damn thing. We don’t have jurisdiction to allow such relief,” a division bench of Justice M Sathyanarayanan and Justice Seshasayee said while dismissing the plea.
S Deepasri, an advocate, also wanted the court to direct the packaged drinking water manufacturers to display their licence number, manufacturing and expiry date and company name on the bubble-top cans.
According to the petitioner, to invert the 20-litre bubble-to water can into the dispenser assistance of a healthy male member is necessary and particularly for women it becomes an arduous task as the can does not have a handle.
Since in most of the homes elderly women are the caretakers of the household, it becomes practically impossible for them to lift the can and invert them into the dispenser, the petitioner said. This apart, due to the manner the cans are handled with bare hands of delivery boys, the hygiene of the water is also affected as a good part of the can is exposed into the dispenser, she said.
“Most of the suppliers of such cans do not clean them or take good care of the cans. In most cases, the water cans are covered with sand and dirt till its mouth end which are fully exposed into the dispenser and directly affect the cleanliness of the water dispensed,” she said.