19th March, 2005
CITIZEN FRONT FOR WATER DEMOCRACY RESEARCH FOUNDATION FOR SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND ECOLOgY WATER WORKERS ALLIANC
* On 15th March 2005, the Jal Swaraj Yatra (Water Sovereignty March) has been launched from Uttam Nagar in Delhi for Protection of Water Rights and Peoples Control over Water.
* A decorated Jal Swaraj Rath is on the Delhi’s Road for next 7 days with a message to oppose Water Privatisation in Delhi, Conserve scarce Water resource and efficient water use
* Jal Swaraj Yatra will reach to more than 10 Lakhs people and collect their signatures as a sign of referendum against Water privatisation and hike in water tariff in Delhi.
* This Yatra is also a Non-Political celebration of 75th years of Dandi March.
The members of the Citizens Front for Water Democracy flagged off Citizen’s Jal Swaraj Rath from Uttam Nagar, New Delhi. The yatra is celebrated to pay salutes to Gandhi jee‘s Dandi march which was a non-cooperation against the Salt Law and to claim our right over our resources. In today’s march, more than 5000 people participated till 12pm and the yatra will move around Janakpuri, Hari Nagar, Mayapuri, Rajori Garden, Tagore Garden and adjoining areas today. This yatra will continue for next 7 days and conclude on 22nd March, the World Water Day. This Yatra is mainly against the Delhi Government’s move, in connivance with World Bank, for snatching our right for safe and affordable water and handing it over to MNCs for their profits.
The Jal Swaraj Rath will create awareness among citizens on their rights over water as well as make the public aware on how the Delhi government and its policies are privatizing our water. Citizens will be made aware of the importance of water, which can never be treated as a commodity.
The Jal Swaraj Rath has a lot of information for the Delhi citizens and how their water is fast receding from their control. On the Rath, there is a big board, which shows how every year water tariff will increase in Delhi and the effect of increasing water tariffs on consumers.
Citizens Front believes that the Delhi Government is under the World Bank pressure to privatize water in the capital. The recent hike in water tariff is mainly to extend benefit to water related MNCs at the public cost. The Sonia Vihar Water Treatment Plant is an example how French MNC was given a contract for water supply with “No Investment” by the water giant, while government is shelling out Rs. 800 crores from public exchequer for corporate profits. The Sonia Vihar plant was built without signing MoU with the firm to get water and that has already incurred losses of 300 crores plus recurring losses of 90 lakhs a day. Moreover, to benefit MNCs, the government has undervalued DJB assets of more than Rs. 90,000 crores for just Rs. 1500 crores.
The DJB generates sufficient water for Delhi’s quench and availability of water in Delhi is 208 liters per person per day against the demand of 161 liters per person per day, but the inequitable distribution and lapses in water management is the main cause that water do not reach to a large number of Delhi citizens. We demand that the government stop inequity in water distribution and revisit the hike in water tariff and review it in consultation with the public.
The Citizen Front for Water Democracy demands that the government must stop privatisation of water in the capital, get rid of World Bank conditionalities and make all the reports related to water privatisation and valuation of DJB property public. Water is a human right.
The Jal Swaraj Rath will visit every districts of Delhi including North, South, East, West & Central Delhi.
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