Exploitation of water resources by Private companies

Letter Submitted to the Kerala assembly subject committee by EPG on 26th Feb 2007 - Palakkad

Water is a common property resource which has right over to all human beings and to all life forms in the earth. Commercialization of such a resource is not advisable in a democratic country like India. Marketing of natural resources including water is an outright violation of right over common property resources.

As per the constitution of India, It is the duty of the state and each citizen to protect the natural resources. Here, the state is supporting violation of the constitution and it is the duty of the citizen to inform the state and responsible authorities to protect it. Both the State and companies are equally responsible for exploiting the water and making irreparable damage to the related ecology.

• These companies played a major role in selling precious natural resources like water. This resulted emergence of so many other companies who sell water as their sole product.
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• Thousands of families lost their lively hood and basic requirements in terms of job opportunities cattle rearing, etc.

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• Farmers faced loss in yield and productivity, contamination of soil, water and air by the presence of toxic materials. The result is awaiting unpredictable direct results like health hazards to millions of people directly or indirectly.
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• Thousands of soda makers, light drink (lime juice, sarbath) vendors lost their livelihoods Natural Drinking water lost for ever for at least thousands of families. Now these companies are selling drinking water at a price which has no control by the government. It is sold at a price higher than that of equal quantity of milk!
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So, we hereby request the Kerala assembly committee to take urgent steps in the following thrust areas.
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1. To take immediate steps to stop and cancelling the licence of functioning of companies like coca cola & pepsi.

2. Immediate arrangements to Assess the ecological damage happened in Plachimada and Puthusseri vilages of Palakkad.

3. To make immediate steps to conduct a detailed and comprehensive study on Impact of exploitation of water and contamination made by the companies by various departments such as agriculture, soil, mining & geology, pollution control board, social welfare, revenue, Health etc..

4. Immediate arrangements to collect compensation amounts from the companies – which shall meet to repair the damages and loss done to the society and the ecology. The government need not pay any compensation so as to reduce the burden of common people by paying taxes to the government..

5. The government should ensure that such exploitations and threat will not occur in future..

6. The government should also delegate power to village communities to implement direct democracy in handling natural resources like water, soil etc.
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Yours faithfully, (For Ecological Protection Group)