CHENNAI: The Madras High Court directed the State government to ensure cinemas across the State provide quality drinking water for free to the audience if they do not allow them to bring it into the theatres.
“A cinema theatre that seeks to prohibit carrying of drinking water inside the cinema hall for security reasons must necessarily provide free and pure drinking water through water coolers installed inside the cinema halls, before such a prohibition can be enforced,” said Justice SM Subramaniam in an order issued on a petition alleging overpricing of drinking water and edibles in a Chennai cinema.
He said water purifiers need to be installed with water coolers and disposable cups made available in sufficient numbers. If, for any reason, water supply is not available on a particular day, alternative arrangements need to be made. If not, the owner of the theatre would be liable to provide an appropriate compensation. The judge stressed that the drinking water should meet the prescribed standards of purification.
He directed government authorities, including the Commissioner of Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection, Joint Commissioner of Legal Metrology Department and the police, to hold surprise inspections at cinemas across the State within two months from receiving a copy of the order and ensure purified drinking water facilities, adequate for the seating capacity, are provided. Hygienic sanitation facilities should also be ensured.
Action of petition
The Joint Commissioner of Legal Metrology was directed to hold an inquiry into the complaint and take appropriate action. The petitioner, G Devarajan, alleged he had to pay `30 for a 500 ml bottle of water and `65 for a 400 ml Maaza bottle on 14 April, 2016, at S2 Cinema in Perambur. When he took the matter up with both the cinema hall administrators and Hindustan Coca-Cola, they did not respond properly.
The judge did not agree to the arguments of the cinema theatre and the cola company that before January 2018 dual pricing was allowed as relevant rules of Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) (Amendment) Rules - 2017 came into effect only in 2018. The change of hands of the theatre management in 2018 was also not accepted for condoning the act of overpricing.