Aurangabad
Following a hearing on a public interest litigation (PIL), Aurangabad division bench of Bombay High Court comprising Justice Ravindra Ghuge and Justice Sanjay Deshmukh on the request of the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) granted permission to provide water to the city on every fifth day. Hence, the entire city will now receive water on every fifth day as before. The bench also expected that the city will be tanker-free, if the contractor completes the works of seven water tanks by 2023 as assured by him. The next hearing on this Public Interest Litigation (PIL) will be held on February 14.
As AMC from January 1, 2023 is providing water to 60 percent of the city on every fourth day and the remaining 40 percent on the sixth day. The administration is facing difficulties while implementing the water supply schedule in the city. Hence, during the hearing, Adv Sambhaji Tope on behalf of AMC requested the bench to permit the administration to supply the water to the city on every fifth day due to the difficulties until additional pipeline, tanks and water supply system is given by the Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran.
The bench also stated that the pradhikaran should present the bills of the contractor amounting to Rs 153.13 crore to the divisional and the committee appointed by the bench should scrutinize it. The government should sanction the bills immediately, for which the government pleader D R Kale should take the initiative.