Arvind Kejriwal against privatising water sector

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

New Delhi, Sept 10: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday reiterated his stand of not privatising the water sector in the national capital, saying that doing so would lead to "cronyism and corruption".

Kejriwal suggested measures like rainwater harvesting, rejuvenation of the Yamuna and water recycling to make Delhi self-reliant.

The city presently gets water from bordering Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

"We are opposed to privatisation of water which leads to cronyism and corruption. Water is a lifeline which the government should provide to its citizens as a right," he said at a workshop of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB).

He said the government needs to make policies on recycling waste water.

"The focus of the water policy and government's work on water can't be just about making people drink water. It has to be a comprehensive and unifying draft water policy for Delhi's citizens and should talk about waste water management, recycling and reuse of water."

"Water pricing needs to be properly thought through along with the implications of all financial models that the Delhi Jal Board needs to pursue," he said.

IANS