Draft for Assam Water Policy rejected by Jal Biradari consultancy

From: http://www.assams.info/2007/09/draft-for-assam-water-policy-rejected.html Addressing a press meet after the consultancy, secretary of Jal Biradari, NE chapter, A K Goldsmith said, '' Many of the participants want the draft policy to be rejected outright and have termed it anti-people since it has failed to address several major concerns. '' It was totally ''anti-people'' and silent and held ''conflicting'' opinions on several major concerns on the water front in the state, he added. The consultancy was organised by Jal Biradari (Water Fellowship), under the umbrella platform of North East India Social Forum and sponsored by CASA. The state government had entrusted Jal Biradari to hold consultation within 45 days as per a decision at a meeting on August 21 on the draft policy. The organisation had so far held three major consultancies in Jorhat, Bongagaion and Guwahati, and another would be held at Silchar next week. Elaborating on the outcome of today's consultancy, attended by over 100 participants, one of the organisers Avinash Natwar said the participants had proposed preparation of an alternate policy by a people's committee, consisting of experts from various fields with pro-people views. On the major shortcomings of the draft policy raised in the consultation, he informed that it was pointed that the policy was gender insensitive. Moreover, the draft policy levied tariff on water and viewed the people as ''customers'', which was rejected by the consultancy as no tariff would be tolerated, except in industrial use. No correlation between forest policy and water policy was maintained and it was not factoring in the bio-diversity conservation aspect adequately, the participants observed. The Draft Policy can be read here : https://www.indiawaterportal.org/data/policies/