Stop commercialisation of water: Green activists
Water experts and green activists yesterday stressed for a strong mass movement against the proposed Water Bill 2010 to resist the "commercialisation" of water.
They cautioned at a roundtable that people will lose their right to water and social chaos will surface if water sector goes under the control of private hand.
Dr MM Shafiullah, former vice chancellor of Buet, said water is a fundamental right of the people, and the government should not pass any law that violates this right.
"The private companies will never think of public interest. They will try to earn more profit through commercialisation of water," he said.
Dr Shafiullah, who chaired the roundtable on "The proposed Water Bill 2010: The right of people and nature to water", also criticised the proposed law.
He said there is no effective law in the country to punish the water-polluters.
Bangladesh has huge water resources, yet people now are compelled to buy drinking water, said Engr M Enamul Haque, former director general of Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB).
He said, "We've a historical right to water that must be protected."
Haque suggested the government elicit public opinion before placing the proposed Water Bill 2010 in parliament, aiming at making the law people-friendly.
Abu Naser Khan, chairman of Paribesh Bachao Andolan (Paba), warned that if the government leaves water to private sector, its commercialisation can never be stopped.
He demanded inclusion of people's right to water as a fundamental right in the constitution for the greater interest of the nation.
Shafiuddin Sarkar, former president of Diploma Engineers' Institute, and columnist Syed Abul Moksud also addressed the roundtable organised by Paba at the Jatiya Press Club in the city yesterday.
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