Tihar to come up with centralised water coolers to stop prisoners from storing weapons in tanks

Sources said that centralised water cooling systems are already in place in jail numbers 6 and 8. Keeping in mind the rising mercury in the national Capital, Tihar Jail authorities have written to the Public Works Department (PWD) and are also in the process of roping in other civic agencies to start work in this regard.

“The decision to provide cool water by installing centralised water coolers is mainly to put a stop to the practise where prisoners often use metallic parts of the water coolers in their cells to make weapons. 

“Moreover, they not only use these weapons but also hide them in the water tanks. Although jail wardens keep a tab on the security of the under-trial prisoners, moreover, keeping in mind the number of prisoners, it becomes difficult for them to monitor each and every prisoner to see if they are in possession of any sharp object which they make from the metallic parts,” said a senior jail official.

Sources further said that apart from the two jails, the common eating room at Tihar also known as the Langar room has centralised water coolers.

Apart from this, Tihar Prison authorities have also made elaborate arrangements to ensure that all the under-trail prisoners especially senior citizens are kept fully hydrated.

“Although we have distributed large amount of water bottles to all the prisoners placed in the wards, we have also given them sufficient lemons so that they can keep them handy and use them if they feel dehydrated or happen to suffer heat stroke. 

“Summers are difficult for everyone but it is extremely difficult for the senior citizens who have been serving sentence. Apart from the lemons, each jail has one senior medical officer on standby everyday to monitor the health of the prisoners” said a senior jail official.

Senior jail authorities confirmed that Jail number 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7, so far having water coolers will soon get centralised water cooling systems.

Mukesh Prasad, spokesperson and Deputy Inspector General of Tihar Prisons said: “We are in the process of exploring the option of centralised water coolers. Further decision will be taken in this regard.”

It is worth mentioning that during the construction of Mandoli Jail, made to reduce the congestion in Tihar, centralised water coolers were installed.  However, the jail seems to be far from being operationalised. Mandoli Jail was supposed to be thrown open by October 2015 but it lies in limbo till date.