The Kerala State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has directed the head of the Jail Department to forward the ₹23.87 lakh estimate for the maintenance of the rainwater harvesting tank at the Ernakulam district jail to the Home department at the earliest.
SHRC Chairman Alexander Thomas directed the Additional Chief Secretary (Home department) to decide on the matter within a month of receiving the estimate from the head of the Prison department. The order also stated that there should be no shortage of water in jails.
The Commission directed the Superintending Engineer of the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) to increase water supply to the district jail from once in four days to once in three days. The order was issued during a sitting on a suo motu case taken up based on a newspaper report. An Under Secretary from the Home department appeared on behalf of the Additional Chief Secretary. The sitting was also attended by the Central Zone Deputy Inspector General, district jail Superintendent, and the KWA Superintending Engineer.
Jail authorities informed the Commission that the district jail requires 40,000 litres of water daily, but the supply from the KWA is often inadequate and irregular. They said the rainwater harvesting tank, which has a storage capacity of 1.5 lakh litres, had developed issues due to ageing infrastructure.
The estimate of ₹23.87 lakh for the tank’s maintenance has been submitted to the Prison department headquarters. The report added that increasing water supply to three days a week would ease the shortage. The Home department representative informed the Commission that once the estimate is received, it would be placed before the working group for administrative sanction.
The KWA Superintending Engineer said the issue stemmed not from the authority but from the tank’s reduced capacity. He assured that water would be supplied thrice a week once the Kochi metro works were completed.
Published – August 08, 2025 10:06 pm IST
