Moving towards partial privatisation, the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) on Wednesday concluded a two-day Jal Bhagidari workshop held to create awareness about the revamping of the water supply, transmission and distribution network under the Nangloi Water Treatment Plant. The water utility has also come out with a booklet to sensitise all stakeholders on the functioning of the public-private partnership model, which will be implemented in four project areas on a pilot basis. The areas include Malviya Nagar, Vasant Vihar and Nangloi underground reservoirs and water treatment plant, and Mehrauli.

Though, the new draft of National Water Policy has favoured privatisation of water-delivery services and tariff hike, members of a working panel of the Planning Commission are strongly divided over the crucial issue. But strangely, for reasons best known to the Commission, the views of the members who have opposed the privatisation of water, were not initially incorporated in the report prepared by the committee on Urban and Industrial Water Supply and Sanitation for 12th Five-Year Plan (2012-17) led by activist Sunita Narain.

The government today said there was no proposal for privatisation of water resources, but would encourage public-private partnership (PPP) mode for effective utilisation of the scarce natural resource. "Privatisation is not being done and it cannot be done," Water Resources Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal said in the Rajya Sabha during the Question Hour and added that a river cannot be given to a private party.

In the proposed new water policy, the Centre would emphasis that states should adopt PPP mode to ensure effective use of water available.

However, PPP model for effective utilisation of rivers, lakes will be encouraged

The government today said there was no proposal for privatisation of water resources, but would encourage public-private partnership (PPP) mode for effective utilisation of the scarce natural resource. "Privatisation is not being done and it cannot be done," Water Resources Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal said in the Rajya Sabha during the Question Hour and added that a river cannot be given to a private party.

The government has ruled out auction of water to private bodies but may consider publicprivate partnership (PPP) in wastewater treatment, Water Resources Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal said. “There are no plans to auction water to private bodies or to include them in any regulatory framework,” said Bansal. He was speaking at the curtain-raiser event of the first ever India water week.

The All Kerala Water Authority Employees Union has come out against the recommendation of the National Planning Commission to privatise water-delivery services in the country.

Addressing a press conference here on Friday to announce the 12th State conference of the union, beginning at Nalanda Auditorium on Saturday, its office-bearers said such a move would result in making drinking water inaccessible to a large section of people.

KWA defaults on dues, KSEB cuts supply

A Division Bench of the Kerala High Court on Monday observed that the government should take a policy decision to privatise the drinking water supply in the State.The Bench comprising Justice C.N. Ramachandran Nair and Justice Babu Mathew P. Joseph made the observation while hearing appeals filed by the Kerala State Electricity Board against a single judge's order directing the KSEB to restore electricity connection to the water authority's offices in various districts.

PMK leader S. Ramadoss on Friday criticised the Draft National Water Policy 2012, alleging that the policy will only fatten multi-national companies and destroy farming in the country.

In a statement here, he described as “highly condemnable,” the suggestion that water-related services be transferred to the community and /or private sector with an appropriate public private partnership model.