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| Sunday, 7 December 2003 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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'Demo' to protest Govt. moves to 'privatise' water 'Anyone who takes water for any purpose from a reservoir, tank or pool will be fined from Rs. 5,000 to 20,000. People will have to settle heavy bills for water, like telephone and electricity' - Ven. Mahamankadawala Piyarathana Thera by Deepal Warnakulasuriya
Approximately 1,000 people gathered at the Fort Railway Station urged the government to take back the bill presented by the Housing and Plantation Infrastructure Minister Arumugam Thondaman in Parliament on September 24. The so-called bill would pose a grave danger to the people of the country if it was passed as it would transfer water management to private operators, making water a commercial commodity subject to arbitrary price increases, the Movement for National Land and Agricultural Reform Coordinator Sarath Fernando told the 'Sunday Observer'. He said that according to the Bill, even drinking water provided to rural and urban areas will become a commercial commodity and Municipal Councils, Urban Councils, Pradeshiya Sabhas and National Water Supply and the Drainage Board (NWSDB) will be kept away from the supply and distribution process. He further added that it would affect not only people in Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa or some remote areas, but every citizen in the country. APNRHR Convenor, the Ven. Mahamankadawala Piyarathana Thera said that government had also planned to bring another bill the "Water Resources Bill" offering the managerial right of water in rivers, tanks, lagoons, reservoirs, waterfalls and pools as well as domestic and agricultural wells and pipe borne water systems to private companies. "The Water Service Renovation Bill presented in Parliament is the first legal step taken by the government to sell the water and a number of preliminary steps had been taken earlier for the purpose", the Thera said. He said that the government's process has nothing for the general public but it would only strengthen several companies.The Thera lamented that the government had already begun to close all the public taps and if the bill was passed every single drop of water would come with a price payable by the user. "Anyone who takes water for any purpose from a reservoir, tank or pool will be fined from Rs. 5,000 to 20,000. People will have to settle heavy bills for water, like telephone and electricity", he added. APNRHR Committee Member, the Rev. Fr. Sarath Iddamalgoda said that they had also staged a number of protest marches and public rallies in Anuradhapura, Galle and Matara districts to educate the public on the danger of selling water to private companies. He also said that they would look at the possibilities of taking legal action over the government process. Meanwhile, the Ceylon Mercantile, Industrial and General Workers' Union (CWU) staged a one-day general stoppage of work last Wednesday, protesting the Government's anti-working class policies and several other policies, and disasters. They also agitated against the bill brought by the Housing and Plantation Infrastructure Minister. |
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News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security Produced by Lake House |
The Alliance for the Protection of National Resources and Human Rights
(APNRHR) comprising multi-religious and multi racial personalities along
with trade unions, civil action and environment staged a picketing
campaign in front of the Fort Railway Station on Wednesday, December 3
agitating against government moves to privatise the supply and
distribution of water.
