Over 215,000 Demand Nestl? Stop Draining Poor Villages in Pakistan for Bottled Water
Corporate Watchdog Holds Nestl? Accountable as the Corporate Giant Attempts to Privatize Water Resources Worldwide
WASHINGTON : November 14 – In a new petition by global corporate watchdog, SumOfUs.org, more than 215,000 people worldwide are demanding that Nestl? immediately stop draining groundwater from poor villages in Pakistan to make its Pure Life bottled water, and take steps to ensure that the people of these villages have access to safe, clean drinking water.
VIEW THE PETITION HERE: http://action.sumofus.org/a/nestle-water-pakistan/?sub=pr
?Nestl??s aggressive water grab is already descending like a plague on parts of Pakistan. In the small village of Bhati Dilwan, villagers have watched their water table sink hundreds of feet since Nestl? moved in and reports indicate that children are getting sick from the foul-smelling sludge they?re forced to choke down. Dirty water, like that in Pakistan, kills more children around the world than AIDS, malaria, war, and traffic accidents combined,? explained Rob Wohl for SumOfUs.org. ?At the same time, Nestl? is spending millions marketing ?Pure Life? to wealthy Americans, Europeans, and Pakistanis who can afford to watch their kids grow up healthy. This is where we say: Enough!?
Earlier this year, when Nestl??s Canadian subsidiary pushed to keep draining millions of liters of fresh water from the water table in a time of drought, SumOfUs.org joined forces with the Council of Canadians, Wellington Water Watchers, and Ecojustice challenging Nestl? in court — and won! This month, after pressure from thousands of SumOfUs members, Nestl? dropped its appeal.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: http://urbantimes.co/magazine/2013/06/nestle-the-global-search-for-liquid-gold
At the World Water Forum in 2000, Nestl? led the way in fighting against defining access to water a universal right. Nestl? and other big corporations won out, and government officials around the globe officially downgraded water?s classification to a ?need? instead, meaning it could be captured, commoditized, and exploited by major corporations without regard for local populations.
For more information, or for interviews with SumOfUs.org, please contact Brett Abrams at 516-841-1105 or by email at brett,,,fitzgibbonmedia.com.
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2013/11/14
