Water conservationist Rajendra Singh says it will also take away the rights of States and communities over rivers
Belagavi (Karnataka): Water conservationist Rajendra Singh has criticised the Draft River Basin Management Bill, 2018, and said it aims to reduce river water to a commodity that can be traded. He added that the Bill would also take away the rights of States and communities over rivers.
“The newly-formed Jal Shakti Ministry has prepared the Draft River Basin Management Bill, 2018. It is anti-people as it would take away the rights of States and farmers to manage their own waterbodies and would reduce rivers to commodities that can be sold and bought,” he said at a farmers’ meeting here on Sunday.
He was speaking after inaugurating the 39th Farmers Martyrs’ Day programme and farmers’ convention, organised by the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha and Hasiru Sene in association with the Bara Mukta Karnataka Andolana, and the Swaraj India Party at Gandhi Bhavan.
Mr. Rajendra Singh said that the States, communities, and farmers had rights to use the river water wisely.
“But the Union government, instead of strengthening such rights of riparian communities, farmers and local governments, aims to centralise powers. The Bill will completely take away these rights. Human beings, cattle, plants, and other animals have a right over water,” he said.
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