Imagine asking for a glass of water in a restaurant and being refused one, told instead that you have to purchase over-priced bottled water. If you are anything like me, you would flip and complain to the management.
A consumer court in Bengaluru experienced this and did complain – in actual fact, he took it a few steps further…
On May 25, 2016, Bengaluru resident, 47-year-old Sudha Katwa, was denied free water by Kentucky Fried Chicken’s (KFC) outlet in Yeshwantpur and was told to buy bottled drinking water. She approached the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), the licensing authority of these restaurants, the next day, and lodged a complaint, stating that it was mandatory for restaurants to provide free water given that water is a fundamental human right.
Sudha sensed inaction on the part of the BBMP Chief Health Officer though and therefore took the case to court on October 1, 2016, seeking compensation of Re 1 and for the court to direct KFC and BBMP to offer free drinking water to visitors.
Sudha told the court that restaurants were obliged to provide water free of cost as is the case for hospitals, bus stops and railway stations. She also quoted a National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) order in 2015.
“Water being a basic necessity for human beings, it is obligatory for the cinema hall to make it available to the movie-goers in case they decide not to allow the drinking water to be carried inside the cinema hall,” NCDRC bench headed by Justice VK Jain had said.
KFC denied the charge, stating that it was a self-service restaurant chain and items such as water and ketchup are provided on demand to the customer at the counter, but could furnish no evidence that this is so.
The commission ruled in favour of Sudha, ordering KFC to provide her a compensation of Re 1 and Rs 5,000 as compensation for Sudha’s legal expenses.
Fresh drinking water is vital to good hydration, which is vital to good health, so this is a great ruling for all.
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