World bank Supported Water Privatization Projects and its

impacts in Tamilnadu

By T.Marirajan MSWState Coordinator

Joint Action for Sustainable Livelihood (JASuL) – Tamilnadu

E-Mail: tmarirajan@gmail.com Ph: 09442524545

Water, Water…

–Privatization of water systems:• Increasing concern: In developing countries

–Triggered by:• The growth of the for-profit private sector

management

–Attention:• Who owns, who operates, who pays, how

much, who decides, on what basis?

Defining Water Privatization

– India “Disinvestment”– Bolivia “Capitalization”– Vietnam “Equitization”

– Sri Lanka “Peoplization”

– China “Ownership reform”– Mexico “Disincorporation”

– In Essence : Commoditization of Water

– Shifting Power to Corporations• Manage/Control water viz. Ownership, Collection,

Purification, Distribution, Pricing

TAM

IL

TAM

IL

NAD

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NAD

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MAP OF INDIA

Water Sector Reform Projects in Tamilnadu

• Tamil Nadu Water Resources Consolidation Project – Project No. P010476, Dated: 20/06/1995

• Tamil Nadu Irrigated Agriculture Modernization and Water Bodies Restoration and Management Project – (P090768)

Impact of WB – Restructuring loans

• In India, the water sector restructuring has so far led to a number of changes, including – reforms of the legal and regulatory framework, – institutional changes,

– increased farmers' participation in irrigation management,

– increased water rates,

– privatization of urban water supply, – regulation of ground water and – a policy shift to accommodate private interests

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Framework for Water Resources Management

•Sustainably regulate River Basins to maintain and improve basin health•Sectoral and spatial water allocation and management using appropriate instruments (water rights, tariffs, etc.)•Efficient and sustainable provision of public goods•Facilitate investments

•Effective and efficient use of water•Effective participation in WRM decisions through basin organizations•Effective functioning of Water User Associations/CBOs – management transfer

Part

ners

hip

Reg

ulat

ion

Comm

ercial Relations

Service / Accountability

GovernanceEmpowerment

Private Sector

Government Communities

Water Resources

Stewardship

Equity/Growth

Livelihoods

Vulnerability

Eff

icie

ncy

Inve

stm

ent

•Cost-effective Service Provision•Corporate Env & Social Responsibility•Provide vital capital investment in infrastructure•Provide direct and induced employment•Promote competition

Irrigated Agriculture Intensification Programme (IAIP) - Hanumanadhi Model Project

Multi Disciplinary Project (MDP) with Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) Concepts involving the following Departments1. Water Resources Organisation2. Agricultural Engg3. Agriculture4. TNAU.5. Agri Marketing6. Horticulture7. Animal Husbandry and Fisheries8. Environment & Forests9. Social Welfare

has been formulated and executed at a cost of around Rs.61.53 Cr.

ACHIEVEMENTSThe overall Irrigation Efficiency increased.Socio-economic status of the farmers improved by means of increasing the farm productivity & marketing facilities.

Poverty alleviation & improved Social status The 5 tail end anaicuts get assured water and

equity ensured in the basin while increasing efficiency of 9 upstream anaicuts.

All the Line Departments in Water Sector were co-ordinated and the Project executed in all disciplines simultaneously.

The much awaited crop diversification by way of improved water efficiency and conjunctive use achieved.

Equity in utilising the water resources has been ensured for the entire basin.

Hanumanadhi Model project study report

The JASuL initated Hanumadhi model project field study on Oct 2007 and the report was circulated among farmers, NGOs and PWD officials at various levels.

River basins of Tamilnadu

Hanumandhi river

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Typical Irrigated Agriculture Intensification Activities

Sprinkler

Existing Wells

Drip

PVC Piping

Farm Ponds

PossibleAugmentationWell

Supply ChannelRehabilitation

MeasurementDevices

Intercropping(Coconut & Veg)

Banana(Tissue Culture; Drip)

Sto

rag

e

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The Demands and Recommandations of JASuL

• Demands to the state government

• Demands to the Central Government

• Demands to the World Banks

Presentation of Hanumanathi Model Project

Report and follow up actions Presentation of Hanumanathi model project report during the JASuL 1st General Body meeting Held at PEAL Farm, Chinnasakkilipatti, Madurai on 18 & 19th

Oct 2007.

•17th Steering committee meeting of JASuL decided to conduct the regional level consultation on the impact World Bank funded water sector loan project 4 Regional Level training programme for Farmers and NGO leaders about Water Sector reform loans projects in Tamilnadu held during the months of May – Dec 2008.

Formation SLFA

Outcome of the 4 regional training programme – a common proposal was evolved by the participants to form a farmers movement to fight against the world bank anti people policies in Tamilnadu - Sustainable Livelihood farmers Association (SLFA). A state level adhock committee (45 members) was also formed.

Intervention made by SLFA adohock committee members at sub basin level

Kottakoraiyaru Sub Basin – Mellanattur tank Fact Finding Visit:

Mr.Kuppusamy, President, Nettur Panchayat of Manamadurai union, Sivagangai district made an urgent request to JASuL, for intervening of IAMWARM work in their tank under Kottakoraiyar sub basin to expose world bank fraud and most corruptive work done through IAMWARM scheme.

A fact finding team comprising of Mr.Marirajan, Mr.Balasubramaniyan, Mr.Sukumar, Mr.Rasindrakumar, Mr.Subbu were formed under the leadership of Mr.Balasubrmaniyam, member, SLFA state adhoc committee and Union Councillor, Manamadurai Union council. 21st Aug 2008, the team visited the tank and stopped the work jointly with villagers and invited the govt officials for dialogue to rectifying the errors of IAMWARM work by made on agitation and publishing the issues in local news paper. For further information please visit http://jasultn.blogspot.com/2009/02/iamwarm_06.html

Intervention made by SLFA adohock committee members at sub basin level

Advocacy with World Bank Team:

During the recent visit of 24 member World Bank implementation Support Mission (WBISM) team for IAMWARM project in October 2008 to the various Sub Basins, the district committees of JASuL in Thiruvannamalai, Salem, Sivagangai , Villupuram, Cuddalore met the team and gave memorandum to the team and interacted with them. The major emphasis of the memorandum was to constitute the Water User Association under TNFIMA act 2000 to monitor the work done by IAMWARM.

WBISM team accepted the resolution and point out the same to concern authorities.

During the month November 2008, IAMWARM MDPU made a communication to the district collectors of phase I & II ( Letter No. MDPU / F59 (A)/ Proj -B / 2008 dated 17.11.2008) to form two Committees namely, District Level Co-ordination Committee and Sub Committee under IAMWRM Project and to conduct election of WUA by the G.O. G.O. Ms. No. 212 Public Works (WR1) Department dated 01.11.2006 (Please visit http://jasultn.blogspot.com/2009/02/blog-post.html )

Intervention made by SLFA adohock committee members at sub basin level

Advocacy with political Parties:

Two attempts were made to interact with political parties namely Pattili Makkal Katchi (PMK) and AIADMK about IAMWARM Scheme.

Tamilnadu Uzhlavar Periyakkam, a farmer’s wing of PMK party organized a state level one day conference at Kancheepuram for which Mr.Marirajan, state coordinator was invited and had an opportunity to give the memorandum to the party head with a short briefing.

Non political party farmers munnetra sangam, Pudukottai alliance with JASuL, gave memorandum about IAMWARM to state opposition party president Ms.Jeyalalitha to intervene the scheme for the people.

Advocacy with line department official for IAMWARM:

The district committees of JASuL in Virudhunagar, Sivagangai, Madurai, Theni, Perambalur, Pudukottai, Thiruvannamalai closely associated with line department for the cause of local people benefits as well as make some positive change in IAMWARM scheme.

Strengthening of sustainable Livelihood farmers sangam (SLFA)SLFA mainly to create awarness among the people and also to tackle the issues that comes from implementation of the World bank loan scheme. The leadership is given by the farmers themselves and JASuL is playing the role of initiator as well as facilitator.

SLFA is planning for a state level conference mainly to raise their voices for the proper implementation of the scheme with the active participation of people through their committees and also to raise voices against the World Bank for taking any initiative for privatizing the water bodies.

Conclusion

• In most countries, water is viewed as a common heritage or a common pool resource. This traditional model is increasingly being challenged in policy and the law, concerning water as well as all natural resources. It is this changing nature of the commons that our dialogu, action seeks to dwell on, in a bid to underline the need to revert the legal reforms debate from the sphere of ‘private' and ‘markets' to that of ‘commons' and ‘collectives'.