Water of Life

Conspiracy theories aside, isn`t it sad that we live in a world where Coke and Pepsi are more accessible than clean drinking water?

AZ

re: mog

Yaar, while there is truth to what you are talking (MNC conspiracy theory, why-give-for-free-what-you-can-sell, etc.) that is only half the truth.

There is no civic planning in India.
The water problem is much bigger and it comes from a real shortage of water. You somehow seem to be talking of the `hills` which are still relatively thinly populated. All cities/towns have serious problems related to population and most importantly having NO garbage disposal facilities. The rivers are used for the towns sewage and garbage disposal. Additionally, because of lack of sewage facilities, over time, the ground water itself gets contaminated. This forces the cities to get water from higher up in the mountains. Since the city folk `pay` more for this water it is easily diverted. Even in the hills the tree cover is always thining, less rain, less water accumalation (water table goes further down causing jharnas to dry up), more soil erosion, less tree cover, vicious circle.

Have you ever peaked into the Yamuna in Delhi during the summer ? If you stare hard enough you may even see it move a little.
There are a lot of studies available (JNU library in Delhi) on this subject (water) done by major Indian and UN institutions. It behooves you to research the subject thouroughly before floating this evil MNC conspiracy theory.

re: Rishi
Chowk is a little confused. Understandably.
Nobody knows who is fighting the war or who is in-charge. Is it the Pakistani govt (Sharif and Co. of Lahore declaration/bus diplomacy fame), Lashkar-i-Toiba, Pakistani Army, or the ISI. And who does Sartaj Aziz represent ?

Wondering out aloud as to why Chowk is silent over Kargil ?

Rishi

Very good article on a very important topic.

Corporations want to sell us something not good for us and destroy better, cheaper options they are competing with. Standard capitalist story, wouldn`t you say?

The intellectual bancruptcy of our part of the world is best exemplified by the fact that Veeresh Malik has a platform.

Racist conspiracy theorist.

If I understand you right, it is the carbonated drink manufacturers who are making natural drinking water unavailable to one billion people in India. I think reality may be a bit more complex than that. Perhaps the thousands of sellers (the ``Dhaaba`` walas) have individually come to the conclusion that they would rather have people buy carbonated drinks than get free water. In addition, far more significant problems may be contributing, notably water pollution and overpopulation in the subcontinent. Interesting theory though, albeit part of that great genre of unsubstantiated, rather paranoid, conspiracy theories.