On the Right to Water Campaign

In an interview with Nandlal on the first day of the Jal Adhikar (Right to Water) Yatra, we learn about the goals of the yatra, the importance to right to water and evidence of Coke's role in the rapidly dropping water levels in Mehdiganj.

Listen to Nandlal speak about the need for a Jal Adhikar Yatra

Nandlal points out that with water crisis around numerous bottling plants in India, the ownership of water has to be questioned. Does it belong to people, to the government or to large for-profit corporations. And how can this resource be used in a sustainable manner. After all, if a company like Coke withdraws 1.5 - 2.5 million liters of water every year from a region, water tables will drop rapidly leaving small and marginal - even large farmers - with nothing. It impacts the local communities ability to access water for their daily use as well as their livelihoods. In India, water is a lifeline - not owned by anyone, but a community resource. To allow large companies to make profits by selling water is leading to large scale drainage of water.

In addition, Nandlal points out that this campaign is also against the pollution of water and land around the plant sites. The central Pollution Control Board has revealed (through an RTI) that all 7 samples of soil tested around the bottling plants showed high levels of cadmium, lead and chromium - all known carcinogens and toxins. This campaign is to ask people not to have Coke not only because it is unhealthy but also because it is killing the country.

Listen to Nandlal speak about the recent study showing evidence that Coke's activities are directly responsible for the large scale dropping of water levels.

In a recently presented report, extensive study of water table over two decades (from state-level data) as well as oral survey of farmers in the region, it is quite clear that water levels have dropped significantly since Coke began operations in 2000. While droughts were seen in the 90s, water level fell only 1.6 feet over 10 years. In the last 6 years, with similar frequency of droughts, water levels have falledn 18 feet already.

This is not a state wide phenomena either, as Coke points out, but specific to the region around the bottling plant. Other parts of the state have not seen such drop in water levels. About 20% of the wells have run dry and another 25-30% have no potable water.

In addition, Coke claims that the dropping water levels is owing to increased withdrawal of water by local farmers. The survey shows that there have been fewer new bore wells build in the last 6 years than any of the earlier decades so that is not the the reason for the dropping water levels either

Listen to Nandlal speak about the ways Coke has responded to this Campaign.

Instead of attempting to resolve the problems with their processes, Coke has consistently attempted to spin. For example, they have claimed that they run watershed projects for renewal of groundwater. In fact, as their Public Relations manager pointed out, they recharge about 7 million liters of water while they withdraw at least 185 million lites of water (by their own accounts, though local estimates suggest larger volumes).

Now, everytime a campaign begins, managers of the bottling plant in Mehdiganj pay villagers living 20-50 KM away to come and hold placards. In the past they have also hired people to physically threaten local community members agitating against Coke.

Listen to Nandlal speak about the plans with this yatra.

The yatra - co-organized by Lok Samiti and NAPM - and with support from numerous groups will visit numerous districts in UP, passing through all regions with bottling plants, then through border districts of MP, it will reach Jaipur district. There, in Kaladera, it will join local protestors making similar demands from the bottling plant in Kaladera. It will then reach Delhi on October 3rd. Protests and demonstrations are planned in Delhi between 3rd and 5th where the campaign will demand the close down of the Mehdiganj plant based on the Central Pollution Control Board report.