DAM-L [right-to-water] India: National water policy: Jal Biradari stunnedby the hastily declared water policy (fwd)

["D. Murray" <dianne@sandelman.ottawa.on.ca>]

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Date: Fri, 19 Apr 2002 17:58:24 -0500
Subject: [right-to-water] India: National water policy: Jal Biradari stunned by the
	 hastily declared water policy
To: dianne@sandelman.ottawa.on.ca
Message-ID: <200204191756796.SM00148@mail.iatp.org>

Right to Water (right-to-water@iatp.org)    Posted: 04/19/2002  By  svarghese@iatp.org	
============================================================



RASHTRIYA JAL BIRADARI
34/46, KIRAN PATH, MANSAROVAR, JAIPUR – 302 020
TELEFAX NO. 0141-393178
E-MAIL: jalbiradari@rediffmail.com
______________________________________

Date:08.04.2002

“NEW NATIONAL WATER POLICY AND THE COMMITMENT OF JAL BIRADARI”.

Jal Biradari members have reiterated their commitment to have a people’s
friendly water policy and awareness campaign. To meet this goal number of
regional jan sunwai (public hearings) are planned inviting politicians,
activists, academicians and other stakeholders. The intention is to
highlight the shortcomings and weaknesses of the existing policies and
establish direct dialogue between community and the state. The intention is
also to implement the main thrust of PM’s speech delivered on April 01, in
the National Water Resource Council meeting and make those ideas as basis of
the Water Policy. The item 13 on privatisation of water resources is not
acceptable to the members of Jal Biradari. On the contrary, members are
unanimous in highlighting the decentralisation of water development and
management and encouragement to community based water harnessing and
conservation practices. A countrywide movement to oppose privatisation and
encourage community control will be launched very soon.

The new water Policy declared on April 01,by the Prime Minister does not
fulfil the Indian people’s expectations. In fact it has challenged the
sovereignty of Indian Constitution. This policy emphasises on private
control by declaring water as an asset questioning the fundamental rights
of the people. Supply of safe and adequate drinking water is the prime
responsibility of the Indian Government as water is the basis of life.
Therefore this policy goes against the fundamental rights.

While examining the water policy critically, it gives an impression that it
is highly influenced by the policies of international organisations namely:
World Bank and International Monetary Funds (IMF). It is so because g to
end of this policy the interest of Indian people is marginalized and MNCs
are protected. It provides direct invitation to MNCs in the Indian Water
sector. It will be detrimental to the interest of poor and marginalized
population, as the control and access will be shifted from community and
people to powerful private enterprise. It is fundamental issue because the
experience of such policies adopted by countries in different
part of the world shows that wherever privatisation of water resources was
practised it ended with blood revolution. Country like Bolivia is one live
example of this. Therefore Jal Biradari will fight against privatisation
and try to establish community ownership and participation in water
resource management in India. This is the ultimate and the only way to
solve water crisis in India.

The Minister of State Water resources, Mrs. Bijoya Chakrabarty, agreed to
oppose the idea of privatisation and declaring water as an asset in the
meeting held on March 05, 2002, at Delhi. She has also agreed to organise 5
regional Jal Sunwai to seek people’s opinion on the draft policy and then
only declare the water policy. Despite of this on April 01, 2002, the
National Water Policy was announced. This is clear-cut backing out of her
own words and playing with the sentiments of the Indian population. More
than this, it is shocking that even after 7 days of declaration of the
policy, none of the national parties or important leaders, chief ministers
of different states, etc has given any reaction or statement on the policy.
Despite the fact that an alternative water policy document was debated and
prepared by large number of NGOs (members of Jal Biradari) and was
circulated to all the members of parliament, leaders of all parties
including regional parties, media and academia, this shows how successfully
the government has cheated and played with the future of common public by
announcing such anti-people water policy.

The members of Jal Biradari were stunned by this hastily declared water
policy and gle to have people centred water policy by organising regional
movements in the issue of water being a resource rather that asset to be
owned by community and government. It is being pleaded that privatisation
of water
and leasing water to national and international companies be discarded at
any cost rather propagate or encourage community based water conservation
and management.

The PM in his speech has highlighted and supported the community
conservation and management of water resources and also emphasised on
social auditing of large water projects. These issues are missing in the
announced policy document. The Jal Biradari will like to incorporate these
points and make it a base for new water policy. The existing policy
separates poor people from water rather than fulfilling their basic needs.
It negates the people’s ownership rather strengthens the centralised
control. The Jal Biradari wants to reverse this phenomenon by bringing
people’s control over water resources.

It is also shocking to see that water allocation priorities as listed under
item 5 do not specifically mention about the protection of the interest of
poor population, marginalized section and marginalized areas such as drought
prone areas. It should have been clearly mentioned that drinking water for
whom, gets priority. Similarly, irrigation for which crop and region gets
priority. In the absence of such qualified statements listing of priority
sectors lead to wastage and inefficient use of water and denies access to
needy users. Hence the struggle which was initiated basically to make dent
in the perception of state in managing water resources will continue with
more vigour and efforts all over the country.

(Rajendra Singh)
 Chairman,
 Rashtriya Jal Biradari








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