“Stone Quarry Workers near Wagholi village in Pune win the battle for access to Drinking Water” -
High Court, Mumbai gives verdict to SANTULAN in Public Interest Litigation

Right to Drinking Water Diary
No ‘Water Policies’ of any government have considered water as an important issue in the lives of Quarry Workers. Under the Mining Development Fund (MDF) provisions made by the Government of Maharashtra, for the first time in the history of the Stone quarry Workers Community, the demand for a Drinking Water Scheme for Stone Quarry Workers at Wagholi village was made by Santulan to the District Collector of Pune on 22/12/2003. On the basis of the demand the Executive Engineer for Public Water Supply Dept. prepared a scheme for 1,39,400 litres of water per day. It was sent on 12/4/2004 to the Managing Director, Maharashtra State Mining Corporation (MSMC) for sanction under MDF.  On 6/5/2004 MSMC office returned the proposal to the District Collector of Pune for lack of Technical Sanction and Certificate from the District Mining Officer with a request to send it back on priority basis for tabling at the coming MDF meeting.

On 19/8/2004 the MDF meeting was held. The water proposal had not reached the MSMC so the MDF Committee decided to allot the money for the repair of roads only. On 22/1/2005 Santulan issued a legal notice demanding (1) Not to release the sanctioned budget for roads until the water scheme was implemented. (2) Action to be initiated against the officers responsible. On 29/4/2005 Stone Quarry Workers organized their first protest in the form of a huge Rally to the District Collector of Pune demanding their basic Rights and Amenities.
Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the High Court, Mumbai.
In the month of April 2005 Santulan filed a Public Interest Litigation in the High Court of Mumbai. On 10/10/2005 the High Court, Mumbai Directed the State Govt. of Maharashtra that
“…the Public Water Scheme at Wagholi for Quarry Labour, Taluka Haweli, District Pune’ to be completed within four months”.
As per the orders, the Govt. received the approval on 19/11/2005 and began work on 31/1/2006 and was expected to complete the project by 30/5/2006.
The Water Scheme was completed in Nov. 2006.