Join People’s Campaign for Right to Water-Karnataka in opposing Draft National Water Policy 2012 prepared by Ministry of Water Resources and demand its immediate withdrawal.
Water is a life and precious resource, which should be carefully conserved and available for use by all living beings for now and in future. We oppose the introduction of the very concept of water as an economic good, we will strongly oppose the anti-constitutional approach of providing water only to those who can afford to pay for it. Water cannot be commodified and should not be traded.
It is the responsibility of the Government to provide clean and safe drinking water to rural and urban areas. Any attempts to privatise in the guise of public-private partnership, outsourcing of operations and management, or other functions amounts to abdication of this responsibility. In carrying out this responsibility the Government should ensure the Right to Water to every citizen. This right is linked with the Right to Food (security). Therefore such a right cannot be an outcome of tradable, competitive economic water rights. The policy should outline various measures to implement the Right to Water, with adequate funding and technology as required. This must lead to improved public health and human well-being.
The Peoples Campaign for Right to Water – Karnataka (PCRTW-K)
Demands :
1. The Government has a responsibility to provide clean and safe drinking water.
2. Public-private partnership, outsourcing of operations and management amounts to abdication of responsibility.
3. The Government must commit to time bound assured universal coverage with implementation through democratic elected local Governments in urban (ULG’s) and Panchayat Raj Institutions (PRI’s) in rural areas.
4. The Government is to work towards implementing the universal human right to water and sanitation including introduction of legal measures as required.
5. Policy and implementation to ensure that none can be denied water based on lack of affordability.
6. Water is not a commodity and cannot be traded or treated as economic good.
We invite you to join us in this campaign by signing the e-petition below as soon as possible and also encourage your friends to do so.The signatures and petition will be submitted to the Ministry of Water Resources and the Planning Commission, GoI.
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- Turning off the tap on water as a human right (thehindu.com)
February 23, 2012 at 12:00 pm
Water is our right and government can’t denied our right.
February 29, 2012 at 1:16 pm
We strongly oppose the NWP 2012. And it should be dropped out in the interest of nation. We have studied the policy and have found it totally against the interest of citizen of India and it is nothing but for the benefit of private companies / MNCs. Under the pressure of IMF, World bank and related institutions the policy is prepared it seems. It will lead to nothing but a huge corruption and unrest in the country. Neither the Nation nor the citizen will benefited from this policy but will suffer to an unimaginable extent. Prices of water will increase exorbitantly.
The Ministry of Water Resources has put National water policy 2012 on its website for comments. This is not sufficient. How can they expect that common men will monitor their website on regularly? Such move itself the create the doubts about intention of policy makers. Such a vital issue affecting millions of people of our nation must be widely published. Ministry must publish it in all parts on nation in local language in all leading newspapers. Reasonable time should be provided for healthy discussions amongst study groups including NGOs, experts in this fields, local researchers. Local gram panchayat members also should be consulted before finalizing this policy.
We strongly insist that the date of response must be extended and policy must be precisely examined. We need to inform the peoples the about the outcome after introducing this policy elsewhere.
And most importantly, Water is gift of kind nature for everyone and should not be privatized or put under PPP project. It’s Govt. duty to provide Water to all at highly subsidised rate so that everyone can afford it. Govt. is collecting the tax from various avenues is for what? Of course, the wastage should be prevented but it’s duty of Govt. and govt can’t offload it on private beneficence and allow them to charge for it on user. It’s logically wrong from all the angles. Under no circumstances this policy should made applicable any where in India. We all are strongly opposing it again again and this response is mindful, after in depth study.
February 29, 2012 at 3:27 pm
The policy NWP 2012 is totally against pepole of this nation. It is on guideline of world bank ADB & multinational giants. This giants has failed on all the front of water management. Steep price rise, No water for poor people, Disconnection, Heavy penalties & court cases in international court are some of their achievements
Water is life for all alike, rich and poor, Human – animal & all leaving creatures. it is govt. duty to meet this requirement. .
Such an important issue should be discussed thoroughly and govt. must publish this in leading regional language Newspaper in whole country ,Sufficient time should be given to one and all.
We strongly oppose this policy