Happy Rakhi !

Water Security is essential to ensuring Food Security : S A Naqvi

Press Release

Ensure “Right to Water” along with “Right to Food”.

Water Security is essential to ensuring Food Security 

§        NPAWP demanded water security alongwith Food security and claimed to ensure 70 lpcd (litres per capita daily) free of cost water (10 Kilo-litres to every household in a month) to all without discrimination;  that is essential to live life with dignity and to guarantee comprehensive food security program.

§         NPAWP demanded to revive ‘Piao’ (Water kiosk)/ water standpost culture so people at street can get free drinking water of high quality.

§         NPAWP also demanded to cancel water privatization scheme and roll-back water projects under PPP.

§         NPAWP questioned Delhi Government on withdrawing the public friendly scheme ‘Life Line Water’ benefit which was provided in 2004 and stopped in 2010 in a non-transparent manner (under which 6 KL free of cost water was provided by the government to every household per month in Delhi) .

§         NPAWP is of the opinion that subsidized Food grains under Food Security has no meaning without Water Security as no food can be cooked without water.

§         NPAWP questioned about high rise in water prices in last decade due to which water has become almost unaffordable to the common people in Delhi.

§         NPAWP wrote a letter to Chief Minister Delhi demanding Water Security in Delhi.

In a letter written to Chief Minister and Lt. Governor of Delhi; NPAWP showed its apprehensions about the food security provisions of the National Food Security Ordinance 2013 which is extremely inadequate, insufficient and inappropriate and it is not the real solution for ensuring food security to the millions of poor and hungry people in the country.

NPAWP demanded for ‘Right to Water’ along with ‘Right to Food’ programme that Delhi Government is going to launch on 20^th August.  

Food and Water are inextricably linked. Water is as important as food. Food security addresses multiple priority areas. In order to achieve a sustainable and comprehensive food and nutrition security, the Delhi Government must also declare ‘Water Security’ along with food entitlements to all community without any kind of discrimination on the basis of BPL or APL category citizens.

Delhi Government is going to launch the ‘Food Security Scheme’ on August 20, the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi to ensure a “hunger free Delhi”. But on the other hand, Government’s approach towards water is quite disturbing. Delhi Government is privatizing city’s water supply to allow corporate control over water through Public Private Partnership that will lead and result into high water tariffs which would be unaffordable for the common people, while the private corporations will earn huge profits. Mr. S.A. Naqvi, National Coordinator of NPAWP claimed that the increase in water tariffs in last decade was done to ensure profits to Corporate and private companies.

Mr. Naqvi said that there are several instances which indicate that private water projects in Delhi are full of corruption and are not sustainable. It is clear that private corporations have no ethical agenda to make water a ‘social good’, rather they have develop markets to make huge profits out of water. We strongly believe that food security can’t be achieved without ensuring water security for the people and water security can’t be possible without de-privatizing the water utility services.

The United Nation General Assembly in 2010 recognizes human right to safe drinking water and sanitation. Similarly the UN Human Right Council provides for ensuring water security at the individual and community level. The Constitution of India also has various provisions regarding ‘Right to life’ and ‘Right to health’ which obviously include Right to water. The obligation of the State is to ensure the creation and then sustain conditions congenial to good health, as enshrined in our Constitution’s Directive Principles under Article 21, (Protection of Life and Personal Liberty) of the Indian Constitution under the chapter Fundamental Rights clearly state that “no person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty, except according to the procedure established by the law”. Article 25(1) guarantees that “everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing, medical care and necessary social services…”. Part IV of  Article 38, 39, (e), (F), 42, 47 and 48 provisions provides the right to health. It is clear that right to health cannot be ensured without ensuring right to water.

Consequently Food and water are essential elements that all human being must have easy access to fulfill their dietary needs and for an active healthy life. Government must assure water security along with food security to the citizens of Delhi.

Hence we request and demand the following:

1. Water is essential for life. Delhi must ensure provisioning of lifeline water to all its citizens:

The NPAWP demands that the Government of NCT of Delhi must provide a minimum quantity of 70 Liters per capita daily (LPCD) drinking water free of cost to each in a family in Delhi to ensure the water security along with food security scheme. This will be approximately 10 Kilolitres (Kl) of water to every household every month and this must be declared as “life line water” for the consumption of drinking, cooking, personal and domestic hygienic requirements without any discrimination of rich or poor.

2. Revive Piaos (Water kiosk), install public stand posts for poor and passer bys at required places:

In almost every religion, providing water to thirsty people is considered as most pious and religious duty. The NPAWP demands that the Government of NCT of Delhi must reinstate the traditional facility of Water Kiosks (piaos) or public stand posts in different parts of Delhi at convenient locations. The water Kiosks will be meant for poor in the slums, at juggi jhopries, as well as for passerby on the roads to ensure availability of free of charge safe drinking water to the floating population of Delhi as well as to those who cannot afford to pay for water.

3. Stop Privatization and Comodification of water supply in Delhi:

Water is life and an essential element to food security in order to have good health and good nutrition! Malnutrition is caused by hunger, poor food quality and unsafe water. Water is an inalienable human right and a public trust. Therefore Water is our most precious common resource and is essential for all living beings. NPAWP strongly believes that water is not a commodity and must not be left to the whims of the market because no person or entity has the right to profit from it. Water must not, therefore, be commodified, privatized, traded or exported for commercial gains. Access to safe and sufficient drinking water must be available and affordable for every citizen. National and state governments both are responsible to ensure water services are delivered to all.

We all believe that local communities are ‘natural protectors and sustainable users’ of water; not its ‘customers’. Our collective concern is that “Water is a public good and it should remain in public hands. No attempt to control over water should be exercised applied through public private partnership (PPP) in drinking water supply and its distribution”. The privatization or commodification of water is against the spirit of a welfare state, as enshrined in our Constitution. Privatization of water leads to corruption, which in turn increases the financial burden of our citizens. World over, the model of Water Privatisation has miserably failed and now there is a trend of reversing privatization and re-municipalization of water to regain public control in countries such as France; UK; Germany; Canada;  Hungary; Finland; Tanzania; Malaysia; Hamilton, Dar-es-Salaam etc. and continued strong resistance to water privatization notably in Italy; Portugal; Greece, Spain, Brazil etc.

It is our humble request to stop the process of Privatisation of Water in Delhi to ensure an honest approach for the realization of comprehensive Food Security to the citizens of Delhi.

In view of the above, the NPAWP strongly reiterates its demands and appeal:

Hence that It is the moral obligation of the Government of Delhi to provide water security to the people of Delhi without any discrimination along with ensuring food security, so that the Father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi’s dream of “Hind Swaraj” and a “hunger and thirst-free India” can be a reality very soon. It is also requested kindly Roll-out the privatization of water supply;  Set up water kiosk (Piaos), water standpost network to ensure the right to water of the community.

Feel  free to contact

S.A. Naqvi: (National Coordinator of NPAWP)

Sanjay Sharma: (National Advisor)

I have all the blessings for you and your team !

It is really a commendable site, not only forwards the latest news, but also assist the residents of Delhi all over to express their experiences, grievances and slackness on the part of the concerned departments, which has an immediate effect in solving the problems.  

More interesting is the viewing of wonderful activities by the RWAs in motivating others to follow by pasting photographs in your Blog.  

So I have all the blessings for you and your team and wishing you all a more wonderful future.  

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Raj Kumar Nanda

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B S Vohra
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East Delhi RWAs Joint Front

Independence from Power cut at Vishwas Nagar Terminal

RESPECTED VOHRA JI 

NATION HAS CELEBRATED WITH MUCH FAN FARE ON 15TH AUGUST. 

THE DTC HAS CONSTRUCTED VISHWAS NAGAR BUS TERMINAL AND ROUTE NO 623B STARTS FROM THIS TERMINAL. IT HAS BEEN LEARNT TODAY THAT THERE IS NO POWER AT THIS TERMINAL SINCE 18TH JULY 2013. THE GUARD ON DUTY ARE DOUING THEIR DUTY WITHOUT POWER THEY SLEEP IN OPEN AT NIGHT THERE IS LOT OF MALBA LYING AT TERMINAL WILD GRASS GROWN. THE REASON FOR POWER CUT IS ELECTRIC WIRE HAS BEEN STOLEN AND DTC IS NOW DOING PAPER WORK TO DO THE NEEDFUL. 

I WILL BE VERY MUCH OBLIGED IF YOU COULD TAKE UP THEIR CAUSE WITH APPROPRIATE AUTHORITIES SO THAT THE POWER COULD BE RESTORED IMMEDIATELY. EARLIER ALSO THERE WAS NO POWER FOR AT LEAST ONE MONTH. 

WITH REGARDS 

CHANDER MOHAN

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Circular debt: Power blackouts loom in India in the face of $590 mln debt

NEW DELHI, INDIA: 

India’s capital is staring at the prospect of blackouts as two power utilities threaten to cut off supplies to a power distribution company run by Reliance Infrastructure Limited unless they are compensated with $590 million owed in late payments.

The predicament underscores a rot in India’s power sector after years of rising debts, fuel supply shortages, corruption, red tape and tariffs kept artificially low by populist politics.

In the sweltering summer heat last year, the country suffered a mass blackout, affecting an area where 670 million people live.

Such problems have hobbled Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s

efforts to fix India’s chronic power shortages, which are a drain on economic growth – now at its lowest rate in a decade - and sap the competitiveness of its businesses.

In an interview at his office, Gopal Saxena, the chief executive officer of the company in debt said:

“Unfortunately we have not had a cost-reflective tariff from the regulatory commission, which has imposed severe burdens on us.”

Bound to supply electricity round-the-clock, Saxena says:

“I have to supply power 24/7. I don’t have the money to pay. Now if I do not pay, somebody is going to cut off the power, or somebody has to pay the cost.”

Reliance Infrastructure, whose chairman is billionaire Anil Ambani, took over BSES Rajdhani Power Ltd (BRPL) in 2002 in a joint venture with the Delhi state government. It was a rare foray by a private company into the power distribution business, which is mostly controlled by India’s 28 states.

BRPL officials say they have helped improve electricity supplies in Delhi since the distribution business was privatised there, but at a big cost to their company.

The tariffs they are permitted to charge by a state electricity regulator have risen nearly 70 per cent since 2002, but the cost of buying electricity from generation companies and supplying it has shot up by more than 300 percent, Saxena said.

As a result, BRPL now owes $770 million in late payments to more than a dozen power utilities. Two of these, Pragati Power Corporation Limited (PPCL) and Indraprastha Power Generation Company Limited (IPGCL), have threatened BRPL with an ultimatum to either pay up or lose the power, Saxena said. Ironically, both the generators are run by the Delhi state government.

The threat means BRPL might be forced to cut power supplies by 25-30 percent for a period of four hours at peak times.

A spokesman for IPGCL could not be reached for comment. The

general manager for finance at both companies declined to comment, as did a company secretary for PPCL.

Staying Alive

Many Indians see cheap or free power as a right, not a privilege, and raising tariffs is especially difficult as the country gears up for a general election due by May.

with thanks : TRIBUNE : LINK : for detailed news.

Dar Se Azadi : JANPATH : B S Vohra on Delhi Aajtak

Link : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2j9X637aQmo#at=25

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Arvind Gujral new BYPL CEO

New Delhi, Aug 14 (PTI) Arvind Gujral was today appointed new CEO of BSES Yamuna Power Limited (BYPL).

Gujral, who succeeds Ramesh Narayanan, was the senior vice president of Network Operations in BSES Rajdhani Power Limited (BRPL).

He will face the challenge of improving the distribution network of the discom.

A BE Mechanical from IIT BHU and a MBA from IIM Bangalore, Gujral has nearly 30 years of industry experience.

with thanks : PTI : LINK

Is your VOTE really SECRET ????? .......... I SAY NO. The Solution is Simple ..... but will the EC do it ?

Dear Friends, Bogus Votes is the worst kept Secret ....... as it turns out Delhi has some 15 lakh bogus voters, as per reports most of them Bangladeshi immigrants and also from neighbouring states. Now where do they live ....... my guess is in closely monitored JJ clusters / slums / Tenants in Urban Villages etc. How do Political Parties keep a track of who they voted for ....... SIMPLE ..... through BOOTH wise EVMs. THE FOLLOWING HOLDS TRUE  ..... NOT JUST FOR DELHI ...... BUT ALL OVER INDIA ..... and needs to be addressed Urgently. Your VOTE can be traced to a Block of about 200 Households allocated to a BOOTH. Political Parties BUY BLOCK votes through the Local Head whoguarantees 90% votes in favour of the highest bidder ....... ........ the threat of REPRISAL / INTIMIDATION keeps most such voters of a BOOTH in a BLOCK of 200 Households in line. Intimidation / BULK purchase of Votes on CASTE, COMMUNITY, RELIOUGIOUS lines is real. The SOLUTION ...... Like in the old days all the Paper Ballots were first mixed from various Booths of a constituency ..... likewise the EVMs of various Booths of a Constituency should be shuffled so that Political Parties are unable to identify which booth voted which way. With the fear of Reprisal gone, knowing that a Block of Votes cannot be traced to a particular BOOTH of a locality ...... OUR VOTE WILL TRULY BE SECRET.  The benefits if EVMs are Shuffled ..... - Local Netas will no longer be able to Buy Bulk Votes. - Political Parties will no longer try to divide Society on Caste, Community, Religious Lines. - Political Parties will no longer indulge in Vindictive activities like diverting funds towards their Vote Banks, ignoring the BOOTH / BLOCK that voted against. - The control of Goondas and local Dons will diminish - Criminals will no longer get Party Tickets putting a break on Criminalization of Politics. - Restore confidence of Citizens who do not Vote as they feel their vote is wasted because of Bulk Purchase of Votes or cultivated Vote Banks. I write this to invite suggestions and together we can take it up with the Election Commission. I am mailing this to LG Delhi, Delhi Lokayukta, Media Friends, Delhi State Election Commission and Election Commission of India ....... in the HOPE THAT THEY WILL TAKE SUO-MOTTO cognisance and give us a TRUELY SECTERT VOTE. BHARAT NIRMAN ..... :) Warm Regards, Rajiv Kakria

Happy Independence Day

I & my family send greeting to you all on the 67^th INDEPENDENCE DAY of our great NATION. We wish, must contribute what we can to make our country strong & capable to fight for its protection / safeguard etc specially when there are any crises of any sort. We need to protract our Nation’s freedom collectively at any cost.

We all believe that the future of this great Nation lies with the active participation of each one of us and encourage/educate others who are not so active.

We all act and discuss with our politicians to think for the country and rest afterword. Administrator at senior at high status must perform exemplary to run the government judicially in the interest of public.

I take liberty to add that CORRUPTION is a dangerous parasite, can damage the complete structure. Have self control & expose the effected person to save whatever others have build the strong building since long.

JAI HIND 

Maj Mehar Sood Rtd