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Bare El Niño domestic water contingency plan, group tells Malacañang


Multisectoral group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) called on Malacañang Wednesday to bare its contingency plans for domestic water use amid the lingering drought caused by the El Niño weather phenomenon. The move came immediately after Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's reactivation of the El Niño Task Force. Despite being backed by a P1.7 billion fund, the task force's mandate is limited to contingencies for the agricultural sector only. Millions affected In its satement, Bayan warned that millions of households across the country –with 600,000 in Metro Manila alone– may be affected by the El Niñ0 drought. “The impact of El Nino will be felt by many sectors. Aside from the livelihood of farmers and fishers, it will also affect water supply for domestic use. It means less water for drinking, cleaning, etc. and thus will have adverse health effects on many families," said Bayan secretary general Renato Reyes. Meanwhile, the National Water Resources Board (NWRB) and the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) haver yet to divulge their contigency plans despite the El Niño making itself felt in various places around the country. In particular, Bayan criticized the privatized water system in Metro Manila and other areas for failing to deliver on their promise of reasonable rates and universal access to water. The group expressed further concern that the situation would only get worse due to El Niño. Bulk water suppliers Private bulk water suppliers act as middlemen between the MWSS' two private concessionaires -Manila Water and Maynilad- and most Metro Manila households, including poor communities. Such suppliers are not regulated by the government, according to Bayan. “We have received reports from communities that the rates of the bulk water suppliers are even higher than the already onerous rates of Maynilad and Manila Water. Such abusive practice must be immediately stopped especially amid an El Nino and should be covered by government’s contingency plan," Reyes noted. Bayan added that even before the El Niño, prohibitive rates enforced by Manynilad and Manila Water have already placed many urban poor households in a virtual “water crisis". Bayan argues that unless the government backtracks on its water privatization program, the situation would only be aggravated by the coming drought. -Nadezhda Tañola/TJD, GMANews.TV

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