Press Release

National Convention on Water Democracy

National Convention on Building Water Democracy, Resisting Water Privatization, 1 st and 2 nd February 2006 at Indian Social Institute, Lodhi Road, New Delhi, Organized by Navdanya/Research Foundation for Science Technology and Ecology

A National Convention on Building Water Democracy, Resisting Water Privatization held at Indian Social Institute, Lodhi Road New Delhi organised by Navdanya Research Foundation for Science Technology and Ecology on 1 st and 2 nd February 2006.

Convention was opened by Dr. Vandana Shiva – Director, RFSTE who addressed the crisis our rivers and waters are facing. The combination of pollution, diversion through dams and privatization is killing our rivers and water bodies. One indication of this crisis is the refusal of people to bathe in the holy Ganga at Allahabad during the Maghmela because of the pollution which has increased after the damming of Bhagirathi at Tehri.

Dr. Shiva stated that if our rivers die, our civilization will die. Dr. Ramaswamy R Iyer, Former Secretary, Ministry of Water Resources, Government of India showed that the mega projects that are killing our rivers are unnecessary in a country as large as India with more than a billion people. Decentralized systems of water conservation and management are the most effective means to provide water for all. Movements engaged in rejuvenation of water resources shared their experience of success, can bring dead rivers and water bodies to lives.

Leaders of the water renewal movements like Mr. Anupam Mishra of Gandhi Peace Foundation, Mr. Rajendra Singh of Tarun Bharat Sangh addressed the Convention. Sessions in Peoples’s Alternatives for Water conservation and rejuvenation were addressed by Mr. Manu Bhatnagar of INTACH, Dr. Anil Gautam and Mr. Ayan Biswas of Peoples Science Institute, Dehradun.

Sessions in Building Water Democracy in Ganga and Yamuna were contributed by Mr. Sunderlal Bahuguna of Chipko Information Centre, Tehri, Prof. Dhrubajyoti Ghosh, Vice Chairman, South Asian IUCN, Prof. H.C. Nainwal, Reader, HNB Garhwal University, Srinagar, Uttranchal, Commander Sureshwar Sinha of Pani Morcha, Mr. Shantanam Seth of Ahimsa Trust and United Nations Volunteer Programme, Mr. Vimalendu Jha of We for Yahuma.

The Convention has also had the first screening of film “Ganga from the Ground Up”, The film “Jijivisha” on the death of the Yamuna was also screened.

Sessions on Resisting Privatisation was addressed by Prof. Banwarilal Sharma – Convenor, Azadi Bachao Andolan, Mr. S.A. Naqvi of Water Workers Alliance, Dr. Sudhirendra Sharma of the Ecological Foundation.

The National Convention condemned the attempt to privatize and commodify our precious water resources through World Bank driven water sector reforms. Different states like Rajasthan and Mahararashtra are creating new Water Policies and Water Laws declaring water a state property, which can then be converted into private property. We demand that these policies and laws be changed to recognized water as people’s common property. We will build movements of water democracy to protect water and people’s right to water.

The Convention resolved to defend water as a living resource, a gift of nature, a fundamental right of all, water is not a market commodity. It is not a Sate property. It is nature’s most vital resource, a common property, a basic need. It must stay under the control of society, which dedicates to itself to its conservation. This is Jal Swaraj, This is Water Democracy.

For further information please contact

RFSTE, Ph: 26535422, 26561868