The document discusses World Bank supported water privatization projects in Tamilnadu and their impacts. It summarizes the privatization of water systems globally and the two water sector reform projects supported by the World Bank in Tamilnadu in the 1990s. It describes the formation of a farmers movement called the Sustainable Livelihood Farmers Association to advocate against World Bank policies and ensure local participation in water management. The document concludes by calling for a reversion to traditional views of water as a common resource rather than a privatized commodity.

1. World bank Supported Water
Privatization Projects and its
impacts in Tamilnadu
By
T.Marirajan MSW
State Coordinator
Joint Action for Sustainable Livelihood (JASuL) –
Tamilnadu
E-Mail: tmarirajan@gmail.com
Ph: 09442524545

2. Water, Water…
– Privatization of water systems:
• Increasing concern: In developing countries
– Triggered by:
• The growth of the for-profit private sector
management
– Attention:
• Who owns, who operates, who pays, how
much, who decides, on what basis?

3. Defining Water Privatization
– India “Disinvestment”
– Bolivia “Capitalization”
– Vietnam “Equitization”
– Sri Lanka “Peoplization”
– China “Ownership reform”
– Mexico “Disincorporation”
– In Essence : Commoditization of Water
– Shifting Power to Corporations
• Manage/Control water viz. Ownership, Collection,
Purification, Distribution, Pricing

4. MAP OF INDIA
A D IL
N M
U
TA
4

5. Water Sector Reform Projects in
Tamilnadu
• Tamil Nadu Water Resources Consolidation
Project – Project No. P010476, Dated:
20/06/1995
• Tamil Nadu Irrigated Agriculture
Modernization and Water Bodies Restoration
and Management Project – (P090768)

6. Impact of WB – Restructuring loans
• In India, the water sector restructuring has so far
led to a number of changes, including
– reforms of the legal and regulatory framework,
– institutional changes,
– increased farmers' participation in irrigation
management,
– increased water rates,
– privatization of urban water supply,
– regulation of ground water and
– a policy shift to accommodate private interests

7. Framework for Water Resources Management
•Cost-effective Service Provision
Private Sector •Corporate Env & Social Responsibility
•Provide vital capital investment in
C infrastructure
Se o m •Provide direct and induced employment
Investment
rv m
Efficiency
ic er •Promote competition
e c
/ A ia
la hip cc l R
n
gu rs
ou ela
tio
Re rtne
Water Resources nt tio
ab n
Pa
Liv i li s
hip
h V e ty
rds rowt uln liho
a er a od
tew ity/G
S u bil s
i ty
Eq Governance
Government Communities
Empowerment
•Sustainably regulate River Basins to maintain and •Effective and efficient use of water
improve basin health •Effective participation in WRM decisions
•Sectoral and spatial water allocation and management through basin organizations
using appropriate instruments (water rights, tariffs, etc.) •Effective functioning of Water User 7
•Efficient and sustainable provision of public goods Associations/CBOs – management transfer
•Facilitate investments

8. Irrigated Agriculture Intensification Programme
(IAIP) - Hanumanadhi Model Project
Multi Disciplinary Project (MDP) with Integrated Water
Resources Management (IWRM) Concepts involving the
following Departments
1. Water Resources Organisation
2. Agricultural Engg
3. Agriculture
4. TNAU.
5. Agri Marketing
6. Horticulture
7. Animal Husbandry and Fisheries
8. Environment & Forests
9. Social Welfare
has been formulated and executed at a cost of around
Rs.61.53 Cr.

9. ACHIEVEMENTS

The overall Irrigation Efficiency increased.

Socio-economic status of the farmers improved by
means of increasing the farm productivity &
marketing facilities.

Poverty alleviation & improved Social status

The 5 tail end anaicuts get assured water and
equity ensured in the basin while increasing
efficiency of 9 upstream anaicuts.

All the Line Departments in Water Sector were
co-ordinated and the Project executed in all
disciplines simultaneously.

The much awaited crop diversification by way of
improved water efficiency and conjunctive use
achieved.

Equity in utilising the water resources has been
ensured for the entire basin.

10. Hanumanadhi Model project study report
The JASuL initated
Hanumadhi model project
field study on Oct 2007
and the report was
circulated among farmers,
NGOs and PWD officials
at various levels.

11. River basins of
Tamilnadu
Hanumandhi river

13. Typical Irrigated Agriculture
Intensification Activities
Existing Wells
Sprinkler
Supply Channel
Rehabilitation PVC Piping
Storage
Banana
Measurement (Tissue Culture; Drip)
Devices Drip
Possible
Augmentation Intercropping Farm Ponds
Well (Coconut & Veg)
13

14. The Demands and
Recommandations of JASuL
• Demands to the state government
• Demands to the Central Government
• Demands to the World Banks
14

15. Presentation of Hanumanathi Model Project
Report and follow up actions

Presentation of Hanumanathi model project report
during the JASuL 1st General Body meeting Held at
PEAL Farm, Chinnasakkilipatti, Madurai on 18 & 19th
Oct 2007.
•17th Steering committee meeting of JASuL decided to
conduct the regional level consultation on the impact
World Bank funded water sector loan project

4 Regional Level training programme for Farmers and
NGO leaders about Water Sector reform loans projects
in Tamilnadu held during the months of May – Dec
2008.

16. Formation SLFA
Outcome of the 4 regional training programme – a
common proposal was evolved by the participants
to form a farmers movement to fight against the
world bank anti people policies in Tamilnadu -
Sustainable Livelihood farmers Association
(SLFA). A state level adhock committee (45
members) was also formed.

17. Intervention made by SLFA adohock
committee members at sub basin level
Kottakoraiyaru Sub Basin – Mellanattur tank Fact Finding
Visit:
Mr.Kuppusamy, President, Nettur Panchayat of Manamadurai
union, Sivagangai district made an urgent request to JASuL, for
intervening of IAMWARM work in their tank under Kottakoraiyar
sub basin to expose world bank fraud and most corruptive work
done through IAMWARM scheme.
A fact finding team comprising of Mr.Marirajan,
Mr.Balasubramaniyan, Mr.Sukumar, Mr.Rasindrakumar, Mr.Subbu
were formed under the leadership of Mr.Balasubrmaniyam,
member, SLFA state adhoc committee and Union Councillor,
Manamadurai Union council. 21st Aug 2008, the team visited the
tank and stopped the work jointly with villagers and invited the
govt officials for dialogue to rectifying the errors of IAMWARM
work by made on agitation and publishing the issues in local news
paper. For further information please visit
http://jasultn.blogspot.com/2009/02/iamwarm_06.html

18. Intervention made by SLFA adohock committee
members at sub basin level
Advocacy with World Bank Team:
During the recent visit of 24 member World Bank implementation Support
Mission (WBISM) team for IAMWARM project in October 2008 to the various Sub
Basins, the district committees of JASuL in Thiruvannamalai, Salem, Sivagangai ,
Villupuram, Cuddalore met the team and gave memorandum to the team and
interacted with them. The major emphasis of the memorandum was to constitute
the Water User Association under TNFIMA act 2000 to monitor the work done by
IAMWARM.
WBISM team accepted the resolution and point out the same to concern
authorities.
During the month November 2008, IAMWARM MDPU made a communication to
the district collectors of phase I & II ( Letter No. MDPU / F59 (A)/ Proj -B / 2008
dated 17.11.2008) to form two Committees namely, District Level Co-ordination
Committee and Sub Committee under IAMWRM Project and to conduct election
of WUA by the G.O. G.O. Ms. No. 212 Public Works (WR1) Department dated
01.11.2006 (Please visit http://jasultn.blogspot.com/2009/02/blog-post.html )

19. Intervention made by SLFA adohock
committee members at sub basin level
Advocacy with political Parties:
Two attempts were made to interact with political parties namely Pattili
Makkal Katchi (PMK) and AIADMK about IAMWARM Scheme.
Tamilnadu Uzhlavar Periyakkam, a farmer’s wing of PMK party
organized a state level one day conference at Kancheepuram for which
Mr.Marirajan, state coordinator was invited and had an opportunity to
give the memorandum to the party head with a short briefing.
Non political party farmers munnetra sangam, Pudukottai alliance
with JASuL, gave memorandum about IAMWARM to state opposition
party president Ms.Jeyalalitha to intervene the scheme for the people.
Advocacy with line department official for IAMWARM:
The district committees of JASuL in Virudhunagar, Sivagangai, Madurai,
Theni, Perambalur, Pudukottai, Thiruvannamalai closely associated with
line department for the cause of local people benefits as well as make
some positive change in IAMWARM scheme.

20. Strengthening of sustainable
Livelihood farmers sangam (SLFA)
SLFA mainly to create awarness among the people
and also to tackle the issues that comes from
implementation of the World bank loan scheme.
The leadership is given by the farmers themselves
and JASuL is playing the role of initiator as well as
facilitator.
SLFA is planning for a state level conference mainly
to raise their voices for the proper implementation of
the scheme with the active participation of people
through their committees and also to raise voices
against the World Bank for taking any initiative for
privatizing the water bodies.

21. Conclusion
• In most countries, water is viewed as a common
heritage or a common pool resource. This
traditional model is increasingly being challenged
in policy and the law, concerning water as well as
all natural resources. It is this changing nature of
the commons that our dialogu, action seeks to
dwell on, in a bid to underline the need to revert
the legal reforms debate from the sphere of
‘private' and ‘markets' to that of ‘commons' and
‘collectives'.