Canal-based water project opposed in Amritsar

Tribune News Service

Charanjit Singh Teja

Amritsar, July 24

Members of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC) opposed the 24x7 canal-based water supply project at Vallah village. The farmers staged a demonstration against the involvement of a private multi-national construction firm in implementing the World Bank project.

Sarwan Singh Pandher, general secretary, KMSC, said they were against the commercialisation of water and not the supply of clean water to city residents.

Residents will be charged for water

It is a World Bank project and private firms are involved. We oppose it as water is a natural gift for all human beings and no one has a right to make it a commercial commodity. We will not allow commercialisation of river waters of Punjab. These companies will sell water to residents. The government will start charging for this water supply as soon the project will be implemented. Sarwan Singh Pandher, General Secy, KMSC

“It is a World Bank project and private firms are involved. Water is a commercial commodity of the World Bank and corporates. We oppose it as water is a natural gift for all human beings and no one has a right to make it a commercial commodity. We will not allow the commercialisation of river waters of Punjab. These companies would sell water to residents,” said Pandher.

The kisan union leaders claimed that government policies have been encouraging corporates to make water a commercial commodity and making survival of poor difficult.

“Government would start charging for this water supply as soon the project would be implemented. They should tell us who allowed polluting of river waters, and who shifted the farmers from canal water irrigation to groundwater? Who polluted our natural water bodies? Why do governments not recharge groundwater with rain harvesting techniques? The policies of government are anti-people they wanted to sell natural sources to corporate houses,” said Pandher.

A large number of women too participated in the protest. The farmer leaders announced that they would stage a protest at Tung Dhab drain that is being polluted by adding poisonous water from factories, on Monday.

Farmer leader Ranjit Singh Bala said factories were constantly putting poisonous water into underground water and flood drains. The governments are silent under the pressure of the corporate. Common people are suffering from deadly diseases due to toxic water in water bodies. He further said people are being cheated under the guise of providing clean water because once the control of water is in private hands, the public would be charged for water.

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