Controversial water bill diverted
The controversial water services reforms bill -- which social justice groups claimed was an attempt to fully privatise water supplies and deny access to millions of people -- cannot be passed by parliament until it is approved by all Provincial Councils, the Supreme court has ruled.

The bill had been challenged by social justice activists Nihal Fernando and Kusumini Kirthi Kumari who claimed the bill and the consequent privatisation of water supply and the distribution would be a violation of the fundamental rights of the people.
They said the bill provided for the licensing of water services providers on a commercial basis without any directional, guidelines or statement of principles or priorities in respect of the distribution of water. The petitioners said water is a commodity essential to life and an adequate supply of water at an affordable price was a fundamental right of the people.

The Speaker announced in parliament the Supreme court had ruled that the bill came under the Provincial Councils list as set out in the 13 amendment to Constitution and must therefore be passed by all Provincial Councils. Though the Court ruling is likely to delay the bill by months, the alliance for the Protection of National Resources and Human Rights, the Green Party and other social justice groups are continuing the campaign against the bill.

Spokesman Sarath Fernando said provisions in the bill -- which most people were not even aware of -- would give profit making private companies the right to fix commercially viable rates for water, thereby denying access to millions of people. He said even the water in the backyard well of a family would be the property of a private company and a licence would have to be obtained. Mr. Fernando said that when they met water management Minister Lakshman Seneviratne to protest against the bill he had claimed he himself did not know much about the contents.

The bill had been tabled in parliament by Housing and Infrastructure Development Minister A. Thondaman. The social justice groups have also launched a campaign to collect up to one million signatures protesting against the water bill which they see as a part of a World Bank strategy.

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