In the drink

In democratic India, the state rarely leaves anything to chance, including provisions for government staffers on election duty. So for the upcoming Municipal Corporation of Delhi election, the state election commission had specified in 2007 the numbers and sizes of tables, chairs, glass tumblers and even earthen pots (“with lids”) for drinking water. Strangely, there are no specifications of what kind of drinking water should be provided. An RTI response reveals that these pots are filled with drinking water supplied by Delhi Jal Board. Given the questionable quality of this water, staff on election duty must be truly heroic if they choose to drink it.