NT Reporter
Panaji
The Goa Human Rights Commission (GHRC) has ruled that disruption of potable water supply amounts to an infringement of fundamental rights.
Referring to provisions of the Goa, Daman and Diu Public Health Act, 1985, and a government notification of December 2023, the Commission recommended that a fresh water connection be granted to Sukhada Ajit Painginkar of Firgulem, Navelim, whose household faced disconnection.
The ruling followed a complaint by Painginkar on August 21, 2025, after the Public Works Department (PWD) cut off water supply to her residence.
The connection was registered under the name of another occupant, Deepa Naik, who requested the disconnection, leaving Painginkar and her family without water.
The PWD admitted that the service line had been disconnected but reconnected following the Commission’s notice.
However, the GHRC observed that the complainant remained vulnerable to repeated disconnections, since the supply was not in her name. To prevent future hardship, the Commission stressed the need to shift the connection to Painginkar.
The Commission also cited the December 2023 government notification, which permits additional connections if an applicant has a distinct house number, part number, or court order. In this case, the Commission reasoned, Painginkar’s long-term occupation of the premises justified a separate connection in her name.
Delivering the order, acting chairperson Desmond D’Costa said, “The state has a duty to ensure that essential services are not weaponised in private disputes. The denial of water supply places families in precarious circumstances and violates their right to live with dignity.”
The Commission has sent its recommendation to the PWD, directing it to submit an action-taken report by October 23.
