The Hindu : A Front against water privatisation

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Mar 23, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

A Front against water privatisation

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, MARCH 22. Unwilling to believe the Delhi Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit's repeated assurance that there is no plan to privatise Delhi Jal Board, a number of non-government organisations, residents' welfare associations, trade unions, social activists and eminent citizens formed a "Citizens' Front Against Water Privatisation in Delhi" on World Water Day today.

In a resolution, the Front demanded that the Delhi Government withdraw its decision to set up a Regulatory Commission, make public all papers related to privatisation of the water sector and cancel all contracts with multinational companies working with the Delhi Jal Board. Condemning the Government's proposal to levy user charges on extraction of ground water, the resolution demanded public-public partnership instead of privatisation.

The decision to form a front was taken at a meeting organised by the Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology of Vandana Shiva in association with the Water Workers Alliance. The former Prime Minister, I. K. Gujral, and the spiritual guru Ravi Shankar addressed the meeting. Though the organisers claimed that the RWAs of the popular Bhagidari (partnership) programme of Ms. Dikshit had joined the Front and that the Bhagidari Apex Body chairman, M. K. Mohanty, addressed the meeting, but only about a dozen-odd such RWAs were present at the day-long meeting.

Among others who have joined the coalition include Jagritri Mahila Samiti, Azadi Bachao Andolan, Kisan Morcha, Yuva Bharat, Pani Morcha, Water Sewers and Sewage Disposal Employees Union, Akhil Bhartiya Safai Mazdoor Congress, Navdanya, Diverse Women for Diversity, and National Alliance for Food and Water Rights.

Stating that the model of water privatisation has failed the world over and that multinational companies were trying to grab water profits, Ms. Shiva alleged that the experiences with these companies in the Capital were not good. Mr. Gujral in his inaugural address opposed the attempt to privatise water in Delhi.

"No doubt Ms. Dikshit has made public statements and assured us at meetings that there were no plans to privatise the water sector, but this time we can clearly see a difference between her promises and action. Several decisions taken by her recently seems to be only heading towards privatisation of water," alleged Mr. Mohanty.

A DJB employee, S. A. Naqvi, alleged that the recent decision of the Delhi Cabinet to set up a Regulatory Commission, collect user charge for extracting ground water, which were preceded by a World Bank-funded study, were part of Ms. Dikshit's plan to privatise the water sector in the Capital. "Water is a natural resource. How can you hand it over to a private company and that too to a multinational?" he asked. Another DJB employee, Sanjay Sharma, explained how water privatisation would affect the consumers and employees.

"The problem with the Capital's water sector is basically with its management and too much political interference. The day it is corrected, the DJB can be run on a no-profit-no-loss basis," said D. M. Narang, Secretary of Bhagidari Apex Body, who attended the meeting but refused to be part of the Citizen's Front. He referred to the large number of non-functional water meters installed all over the Capital and the inability of the DJB to collect water bills from its consumers. "In my colony alone, the DJB figures reveal that they have to collect water bills worth Rs. 21.77 lakhs," he said.

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