Due to lacunae in the urban water sector strong push is being made for water privatisation.
What are the problems of privatization?
The problems in water sector include losses, inefficiency, unreliability, corruption, issues of quality, and mismanagement.
But the international experience shows that the privatisation of water, privatization has never sustained over a long period of time in a comprehensive manner, especially in the urban water sector.
Mostly privatisation of some small sub-sector like water distribution is done and the rest of the issues are still kept in the public sector.
Management of water supply is an issue of rights and a basic need, as acknowledged by the judiciary.
Moreover, water is embedded in the ecosystem. Any attempt to see water only as a commodity is bound to have multiple disruptive consequences.
The promise of creating competition that will benefit the consumer due to privatisation has not been delivered in the power sector.
The power sector is not only a monopoly but refuses to submit itself to public audit.
What should be done?
It does not address the real problem in the water sector, which is a need for better governance.
We need democratic, transparent, accountable and participatory governance in a bottom-up approach, on each aspect of the urban water sector where water privatisation is advocated.
