Centre to go ahead with water supply privatisation move

In a controversial move, the UPA government is all set to push for privatising water supply despite severe criticism and fears that this will lead to a massive hike in water consumption charges.

The revised draft National Water Policy (NWP) 2012 states that government’s ‘service provider’ role should end and water supply be privatised under a public-private-partnership scheme.

The last time this was tried out in Delhi, it was noticed that the charges for water supply could have gone up by a whopping 700%. However, the privatisation bid was rolled back after major protests from citizens and activists. But this time around the UPA seems to be determined to go ahead with it.

In February 2012, when the draft put in public domain, it drew flak for proposing privatisation. Activists were hoping government would change its stance and would instead focus on improving its own water management system. 

“The water related services should be managed with community participation or brought under appropriate PPP model under close superintendence of the regulatory authority including the stakeholders,” said the re-worked draft.

It talks about treating water as an economic good. “Water, after meeting the pre-emptive needs for safe drinking water and sanitation, achieving food security, supporting poor people dependent on agriculture for their livelihood and high priority allocation for minimum eco-system needs, be treated as economic good so as to promote its conservation and efficient use,” the draft said.