Water Privatization and the Media

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It is interesting to see the kind of issues that gain coverage in the Indian media, as I have often stated. What makes it interesting though is the selective screening of certain kinds of news items that could be of potential national interest. There is never a debate conducted over matters of national importance in an objective manner. One such area is the privatization of water supply systems in India.

It is of no surprise to me that very few papers in India dare to discuss the issue of water supply systems being privatized in the name of reforms. The side usually taken is the one that is often quoted by proponents; it will be a panacea for all the ills that plague the current systems. Thus it is rare to come across articles on opposition to it in Karnataka, especially in cities like Mysore and Bengaluru. Moreover, the issue is being discussed about the inclusion of the private sector in Delhi as well, with the electricity distribution privatization being quoted a 'success'.

Read more about it here and do let me know what you guys think about the whole issue.

http://www.dailypioneer.com/310878/This-problem-can%E2%80%99t-be-watered-down.html

P.S. The first city to have private water supply was incidentally Tirupur in Tamil Nadu, and the firm operating is a consortium of government financed companies. So is this really privatization?????

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