Medha Patkar terms river inter-linking as privatising rivers

Varanasi, June 30 (UNI) Narmada Bachao Abhiyan (NBA) leader Medha Patkar today termed the ambitious project of inter-linking rivers one aimed at 'privatising' Indian rivers.

Addressing a programme at the Sampoornand Sanskrit University (SSU) here, Ms Patkar said inter-linking rivers with funds from the World Bank (WB) and other international financial institutions would end up transfering public ownership of our rivers into the hands of MNCs.

She claimed the WB and Asian Development Bank had already given a nod to finance the project, not with a view to solving India's water woes, but paving way for the MNCs to control rivers.

''The Indian Constituion talks of public ownership of all natural resources including rivers. But, the inter-linking project will transfer the ownership of rivers to MNCs. This means in future even for drinking water, we will have to pay to companies having the right to use the river,'' she alleged.

The social activist claimed the project that envisages inter-linking rivers to attain equitable distribution of water will in fact compound water crisis by transfering water from those areas which need it to other regions.

''Our planners talk of transfering surplus water to regions, which are thirsty. But, they have never tried to ascertain whether there is a region in the country with surplus river water'' she maintained.

''We talk of transfering Ganga water to region where Bramhaputra is not quenching thirst, but have never ever contemplated over the reality that even Ganga water was proving too less for fulfilling the requirements of those regions through which the sacred river flows.'' Over the allegation of BJP and Congress about the NBA blocking development through protest over the Narmada Dam issue, Ms Patkar said the NBA was stalling the passage of one dam only and questioned about at least 400 other dams, which were awaiting completiion due to faulty planning by the government.

The Ninth and Tenth Finance Commission have enlisted 159 big dams and 242 medium dams which were incomplete owing to faulty government planning. An amount of at least Rs one lakh crore was needed to complete these dams, she claimed.

Ms Patkar called for a Rashtriya Jal Satyagraha (National Water Movement) to ensure the ''insensitive'' governments in the country were not able to destroy natural resources including river in the name of development.

''The need of the hour is to integrate all movements on water issues, including those against water bottling plants to that against dams on river, under a bigger national umbrella, Rashtriya Jal Satygraha,'' she said.

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