Water Study Group

Links

This page has a lot of links that we came across during our study of water privatization in India and around the world. Please let us know if you think some other links could be put here.

Introduction: What is Water Privatization ?

The following two articles give a good introduction to the issue.

http://www.citizen.org/cmep/Water/ (citizen.org introduction to water privatization)
http://www.foodfirst.org/pubs/backgrdrs/2001/s01v7n3.html (by Maude Barlow)

Reports and Papers

A position paper by the research foundation for science, technology and ecology led by activist Vandana Shiva. It gives a brief introduction to the water issue, steps being taken to privatize, the experience in cochabamba, bolivia etc. It also talks about why pani panchayats as funded by the world bank are not the right way forward. (pdf)

http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/briefings/gats_stealing_water.pdf
This is a report from Friends of the Earth that talks about how the WTO is enforcing water privatization through GATS and why that is bad. This is somewhat similar to our background paper in the sense that they are also drawing from many case studies around the world to make their point.

http://www.ncasindia.org/perspective/waterpolicyperspective19.htm#_ftn1
A comprehensive and well-researched document by Sanjeev Ghotge on India's water policy. It clearly advocates people's rights over natural resources. It also briefly highlights the ills of water privatization using the Chhattisgarh example.

http://books.nap.edu/books/0309074444/html/10.html#pagetop
An online book about the privatization of water services in the US. While the book is not opposed to water privatization, it clearly mentions that water privatization due to the nature of this sector - almost always ends up being a natural monopoly.

http://www.psiru.org/reportsindex.asp
Reports from PSIRU. It is a one stop resource center for anti-privatization, anti-WTO & IMF, anti-MNC corporations. There are tons of reports on privatization of water and other essential resources. All the reports are very comprehensive and well researched.

http://www.jhuccp.org/pr/m14edsum.shtml
A very comprehensive and extremely well-researched report on solutions for a water short world. They don't talk very much about privatization, but they are quite unequivocal about the solution - conservation, population control, and small scale community based water management.

http://www.socialwatch.org/en/noticias/noticia_33.htm
A comprehensive article on the privatization of public services and their impact with a specific focus on water. The article answers important questions that we have all gone through in our discussion such as 'if the government has failed in providing quality water service, why not privatize?"

Articles

Sainath's article in the Hindu: "Clouds of despair...the poor and the permanent drought"
Sainath clearly explains the problems of the rural poor that the media often ignore. First, talks about agriculture issues and user-fees etc. Then shifts towards water. And how pani panchayats, a nice-and-democratic-sounding term actually is removing control of water by the community towards private hands, big contractors and corporations.

"Water Pressure" - This article in the national geographic Sept'02 edition talks about water pressure on the planet in general. (May need subscription to access it).

"Water is a matter of public debate" - An article by Rep. Dennis Kucinich that succinctly presents the case for public debate against privatization.

"Cholera and the age of the water barons" - Article by Bill Marsden, The Center for Public Integrity.

"Globalization in our local economy" - Article in Zmag by Jonathan Leavitt

"To privatise, or not to privatise, water" - Interview with watershed management expert Vijay Paranjpye.

http://www.hindu.com/stories/2003052105310500.htm
Debate on emerging role of private players in infrastructure development in Tamilnadu

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/2003/05/18/stories/2003051804020100.htm
World bank directive for TN govt. to reconstitute its Public Works Department into autonomous bodies and to encourage 'reforms'

"Coca-Cola's Toxic India fertiliser" - Waste product from a Coca-Cola plant in India which the company provides as fertiliser for local farmers contains toxic chemicals, a BBC study has found

Pollution by water industries - The water industry has had to pay the highest fines for pollution in UK. However the fines are so low that the industries end up taking the fine.

"Saving forests best way to clean water" - how forestation is being used in US cities for natural water purification.

Tiruppur Project related Links

http://www.water-technology.net/projects/tirupur/

http://www.corpwatchindia.org/issues/PID.jsp?articleid=3623

http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/2002/06/22/stories/2002062204160400.htm

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/2003/05/20/stories/2003052003920500.htm
Tiruppur water supply and sanitation project, one of the first instances of a private corp. handling water supply and management in Tamilnadu

Sheonath River Privatization Saga

"This man owns the river" Article in outlook about how the Sheonath River in Chhattisgarh was privatized.

"Water Color of Money" - Private enterprise harnesses a river in Chhattisgarh to rake in big bucks

"River gone private is drying up" - Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Ajit Jogi has asked the state’s Advocate General and water resources department to examine how best to terminate the agreement with Radius Water Industry.