Pics: Brijesh Garodi
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (BG)

Mangalore, Apr 11: A discussion on water issues was held on Tuesday April 10, at 4.30 pm at School of Social Work, Roshni Nilaya here.

Dr Kshithij U who has worked on water and land issues for about 20 years and is an activist with People’s Campaign for Right to Water – Karnataka led the discussion.

He explained the drawbacks and issues over the privatization of water sector, and said that the usual sense that water is a natural resource and so are gold and petrol. But we can demand on our rights on water but not on gold and petrol. Bangalore in Karnataka was the first to privatize water supply. In 2004, Greater Bangalore Privitazion plan was introduced wherein the rural areas were privatized leaving out the city, the reason being it was very much easier to convince the rural people through the help of NGOs. World Bank was financing these projects.

After Bangalore, this privatization moved over to other districts of Karnataka namely Hubli, Dharwad, Belgaum and Dharwad. The contract was given to a French company wherein the officials had signed these agreements without even reading them, Kshitij alleged. These agreements included some conditions like the State Government is responsible for the purification of water, it has to pay the working staff, storage tanks to be put up by the government but the whole of its profit will be for the private company. First the water will be given to the areas where it is privatized and only the left over water will be let to others. He also said that the water companies are making more profit than the gold and petrol mining companies.

He also said that having been affected by these privatization of water in Mysore, around 50,000 people came to the streets and protested against this. He also urged the people of Mangalore to do the same as it was the only way to stop it. "Rs 147 crore allocation to city for water issues in state budget was a plan proposed by World Bank two years ago," he added.

"The main aim of these foreign companies is to make profit. Their main goal is to privatize the government services and make profit out of it. It is totally unjust to privatize water and even the government is looking only at the finacial aspect. The government is convincing the people by different ways like 24X7 water supply, outsourcing etc which is nothing but privatization."

Finally he asked the administration to stop privatization and  give water to all without any discrimination. "Lifeline water (water required by a person for his basic needs) has to be given free of cost, whereas excess water use could be charged but in limits."

He asked the people to strongly protest against this sort of privatization which would effect the backward class of society as it would be too ciostly for them to afford it.
"Government is trustee of water and not the owner," he said.

Speaking on the occasion, MLA U T Khader asked Kshitij to keep a session on the same with the MLAs, corporators and other officials concerned as the majority of them would not be aware of this.