SC declines to stop water supply to breweries in drought-hit parts of Maharashtra

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to direct the Maharashtra government to completely cut water supply to distilleries and breweries in the drought-hit regions of the state.

A vacation bench of Justices P C Pant and D Y Chandrachud pulled up the petitioner for approaching the apex court for a complete ban on water supply to the liquor manufacturers, saying the Bombay High Court has already passed an interim order in this regard.

“Why are you coming against an interim order of the High Court? The High Court has already allowed 60 per cent, now what do you want? These are all policy decisions. There has to be a balance,” the bench said.

The counsel appearing for petitioner Sanjay Bhaskarrao Kale, said the entire region is severely drought-prone and there is a policy in this regard.

To this, the bench said these are all policy decisions and the court’s interference will be like taking over governance.

The apex court dismissed the petition as withdrawn after the counsel agreed to withdraw the plea. The court, however, granted the petitioner the liberty to approach the High Court.

The Aurangabad Bench of the Bombay High Court had recently asked the state government to curtail water supply to the liquor industry by 60 per cent from 10 May, an order which will be operational till 27 June.

The plea filed in the apex court had sought that instead of a curtailed water supply, there should be no supply at all as the entire region is facing acute water shortage.

The petition had said that people were dying in the region due to the shortage of water and there is a limited water stock available.

The counsel for the petitioner had said people were being deprived of drinking water as it is being given to the liquor industry.

Earlier, the Bombay High Court had also asked the Maharashtra government to cut supply to other industrial units in Marathwada by 25 per cent after 10 May.