The Telangana High Court on Monday, June 8, observed that preventing drinking water pollution is a collective responsibility of all government departments, calling it a critical public health issue that cannot be left to a single agency A bench of Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice GM Mohiuddin stressed the need to ensure that water supplied to the public is free from contamination, noting that pollution extends beyond bacterial presence to include hazardous metals. The court was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) taken up on the basis of a letter prompted by a newspaper report on the deteriorating state of the city’s water bodies.The bench, however, questioned how untreated sewage was being released into the lakes if that were the case. Stating that no department could distance itself from the issue by claiming it was unrelated to water supply, the court passed the directions and adjourned the hearing to July 2.