All over the national capital region, people are reeling under an acute shortage of water as they endure the searingsummer heat. The water shortage is not restricted to one or two areas, but is in fact widespread across the city, and is getting worse. People have been out on the streets across many residential areas demanding from the government that it meets this basic requirement of its citizens.
On June 20th, the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development or the Rio Earth Summit 2012 had begun in Rio de Janeiro in South America, to discuss the question of protecting the environment and issues of water scarcity. While the Earth Summit began in Rio, several rights activists, NGOs and trade unions joined hands to launch a'Right to Water' campaign in Delhi. Those who had gathered in Delhi declared the 'right to water' as a fundamental right to life, and demanded equitable distribution of water. They condemned moves by Delhi JalBoard (DJB) to introduce privatisation through public-private partnership (PPP) model.
This is in response to the Delhi government’s recent moves to invite private players to manage the water supply in three areas of the city, justifying it as a PPP model, where the assets remain with the Delhi Jal Board. But this is going to lead to water being priced to make it unaffordable for the working people. This thrust is also reflected in the National Water Policy 2012. The Policy talks of state playing more the role of the regulator “and communities and/or the private sector with appropriate public private partnership (PPP) should be encouraged to play the role of service provider”. This is a very insidious attempt to bring in private players under the guise of PPP. The experience of such a model in other countries too has been negative. What the government intends to do is hand over a precious natural resource into private hands for making profit out of this service.
The campaigners resolved that they would fight for their fundamental right to water. They demanded, in an open letter to the Prime Minister that Delhigovernment should ensure an uninterrupted water supply on the basis of 120litres per capita consumption, as per WHO standards. They also added that a justand rational supply of water must be made to the “unauthorized” colonies in Delhi.
Mazdoor Ekta Lehar supports the demands of the campaign and calls on all working people in the city to step up the struggle against moves to privatise water supply and management under any name, and to demand the equitable supply of water for all residential colonies.