New Delhi, Dec 5 (IANS): The High Court on Monday asked Delhi government to submit a response regarding clean drinking water and proper sanitary conditions in Tihar jail, on a plea filed by the Delhi High Court Legal Services Committee.

The Committee had moved a plea stating that not providing basic amenities to the jail inmates is an outright violation of the Delhi Prison Rules and Model Jail Manual.

"Depriving the inmates of Tihar jail of basic amenities such as access to clean and adequate drinking water, sanitation, and overall hygienic environment and clean and private washrooms/toilets, is in outright violation of the Delhi Prison Rules as also the Model Jail Manual. Such deprivation is also in contravention to the accepted international rules and guidelines for prisoners," the plea read.

According to the plea, the jail's hygiene issues were brought to the attention of the Delhi High Court Legal Services Committee by a prisoner, which resulted in an inspection conducted by one of its panel counsels in the jail premises and it was found that adequate and clean drinking water was not being made available in the premises of the Tihar jail.

A division bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad granted six weeks to the Aam Aadmi Party-led government for filing its response, while posting the matter for next hearing on April 14, 2023.

In the plea moved through Advocate Amit George, it is stated that the broken washrooms and toilets are not fit for use and need repair. It also stated that there is a manhole in the premises filled with stagnant water, which is now spilling out and has made it difficult for the prisoners to reside.

The plea thus states that the panel counsel had suggested that a plea could be filed seeking redressal of grievances regarding access to safe and clean drinking water as also for ensuring an overall hygienic environment in the jail premises.