US based PepsiCo has been forced to cease operations at its bottling plant in Kanjikode, in the south Indian state of Kerala because of water shortages, the India Resource Center can confirm.

A team led by Professor P. S. Panikkar, an eminent social activist and member of the Kanjikode Paristithy Kaval Sangham, a government appointed watchdog group, tried to enter the PepsiCo factory premises in Kanjikode yesterday to ascertain if PepsiCo was abiding by the state government orders to reduce water extraction but the team was denied entry by the staff and security.

However, speaking with people in and around the bottling plant, it was confirmed that PepsiCo had ceased production since February 4, 2017 and the plant was operating in “maintenance” mode.

PepsiCo has been the target of a sustained campaign led by local communities, civil society organizations and political parties because the company has been extracting over 600,000 liters of groundwater every day – even as the state of Kerala faces a major drought – perhaps the worst in over a century, and people, farmers and livestock in the area are struggling to meet their basic water needs.

PepsiCo’s plant is located in a rain shadow area in the Palakkad gap of the Western ghats.

On January 30, 2017, the state government of Kerala issued strict measures to ease drought conditions in Palakkad district (where the PepsiCo plant is located), and ordered industries using water as a raw material to reduce water use by 75% until May 2017, and also noted that legal action will be taken “against the companies  that disobey the order.”

As a result of the government order, PepsiCo was forced to reduce its water usage from 600,000 liters per day to 150,000 liters of water per day.  The company claims to have abided by the order, and the company is also facing labor unrest because many workers have refused the short-term assignments as a result of reduced production.

Professor P. S. Panikkar has been petitioning various government agencies to reduce water allowances to industries using water as a raw material since 2014, and the government actions reducing water for such industries are largely the result of his efforts.

“The Kerala government should make PepsiCo’s shutdown of production permanent, and also cease water allowances to other industries such as breweries and distilleries in the area because such water guzzling companies cannot exist in water-scarce Palakkad in a sustainable manner”, said Prof. Panikkar.  “The government should also take urgent steps for the eco-restoration of the area,” he continued.

PepsiCo is also facing trouble from other quarters for its exploitation of groundwater resources in Kanjikode.

The state of Kerala’s Minister for Water Resources, Mathew T. Thomas told the Kerala legislative assembly on Wednesday that, “The government will take stern measures to restrict usage of groundwater due to prevailing drought and if possible stop PepsiCo from drawing it at its plant at Puthussery in Palakkad by using the power vested with it under the State Disaster Management Act.”

The state’s largest retailer association, Kerala Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samithi (KVVES), also announced on Wednesday that it will ask its members not to sell Pepsi and Coca-Cola products in the state from March 15, 2017 because of the water problems created by these companies.

In addition, the Puthussery panchayat (village council), where the PepsiCo plant is located, has also passed a resolution in November 2016 (with full quorum) asking the company to stop groundwater extraction at least until May 2017 because the panchayat holds the company responsible for the water crisis in the area.

PepsiCo’s bottling plant in Palakkad district is located about 20 kilometers from the village of Plachimada, where a community-led movement led to the closure of a Coca-Cola bottling plant in 2004.

“It is unfortunate that these water guzzling companies still have not learned their lessons and continue to try to use groundwater for their harmful products even as people don’t have enough water for drinking and farming,” said Amit Srivastava of the India Resource Center, who was also part of the team to visit the PepsiCo plant.  “We welcome the actions of the Kerala government and the traders association, and the government must extend such restrictions to all industries that abuse water resources in times of drought.”

For more information, visit www.IndiaResource.org

Thousands of people led by Civil society activists and various anti corruption crusaders took out a march against corruption from Mandi House to Jantar Mantar. The “Bhrashtachaar se Azadi” march culminated at Jantar Mantar with a protest demonstration where the speaker’s questioned the government for its lackadaisical and poor performance in fighting corruption.

Noted anti corruption crusader and Swaraj Abhiyan President Prashant Bhushan questioned the Modi government for its silence on the suicide diary of Late Arunachal Pradesh CM Kalikho Pul. He pointed out that there could be an ominous connection between Sahara Birla Diary and Paul’s diary, both of which need independent credible investigation.

Attacking the government on going back on the promise of cleaning up political funding, the root cause of black money & corruption, Prashant Bhushan said that the lack of transparency and accountability in political funding still remains one of the most serious concerns. Political parties do not reveal their source of funds even after directions from CIC to come under the RTI. Recent announcements by the finance minister in his budget speech have made it more opaque instead of ensuring transparency in funding.

 Anjali Bhardwaj, co-convenor of the National Campaign for Peoples Right to Information said- Modi government has not implemented the anti-corruption legislations – lokpal law and whistleblowers protection law and has instead diluted these laws. Na khaunga, na khane dunga and their various promises on anti corruption have turned out to be jumlas. There are serious allegations of corruption in the Sahara Birla diaries and in the dying declaration of Kalhiko Pul which must be properly investigated. People’s movements have come together to demand bhrashtachar se Azadi.

Mrs. Pul, wife of late Mr. Kalhiko Pul, former CM of Arunachal Pradesh said- my husband in his dying declaration has written in detail about corruption in politics and judiciary. He could have given the bribe and carried on but he stood for the right thing. I’m not fighting for justice for only him but for all Indians. Instead of trying to suppress the evidence and dismiss it, we need a proper and independent investigation into it. BJP government is not investigating the allegations.
Dr.  Sunilam of NAPM said- the BJP government of MP is extremely corrupt. We all know of the vyapam scam- scores of people have been killed, SC has cancelled degrees, yet what action have they taken?
Aruna Roy of National Campaign for Peoples Right to Information said we want Azadi from bhrashtachar and from injustice. Corruption and injustice go hand in hand. The government is trying to silence us and stop us from speaking, from questioning, from expressing our views. We must fight together to protect our right to protest and resist.

The campaigns which organized the protest pledged that they will keep fighting till the anti corruption laws are implemented.

Yogender Yadav of Swaraj India Party and Prakash Karat of CPM expressed support for the demands of the protestors.
Exposing the ill intentions of the government in fighting corruption, the protestors raised the following issues during the demonstration:

• *Non-operationalisation of the Lokpal law*: Though the current government came to power on the plank of anti-corruption, it has failed to operationalise the Lokpal & Lokayuktas Act. Three years after the Lokpal Act was passed by Parliament, no Lokpal has been appointed. In fact in 2016, an amendment to the Act was passed which has fundamentally diluted the Lokpal Act as it has done away with the statutory requirement of public servants to publically disclose the assets of their spouses and dependent children. The amendment law militates against the very purpose of the Lokpal, which was established to receive and inquire into complaints related to offences punishable under the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA).

• *Non-operationalisation of the Whistle Blowers Protection law*: The Whistleblowers Protection (WBP) Act which was passed in February 2014, has not been operationalised till date even as scores of whistleblowers continue to be attacked and killed for exposing corruption. Instead of promulgating rules to operationalise the law, the government moved an amendment bill in Parliament in May 2015 which seeks to severely dilute the Act by removing safeguards available to whistleblowers from prosecution under the Official Secrets Act.

• *Failure to re-introduce the grievance redress legislation*: The government has not reintroduced the Grievance Redressal Bill, which had the support of all parties including the BJP but lapsed with the dissolution of the Lok Sabha in 2014. In a communication dated 24.06.2014, the PMO stated that passing the GR bill was “part of immediate thrust areas of the government”. However, till date no such bill has been brought to Parliament and as per the reply of the Minister in Parliament, the government has abandoned the proposed legislation in favour of a scheme for grievance redressal. By proposing a scheme instead of enacting a law to provide an effective mechanism for grievance redress to citizens, the government has completely diluted this important initiative.

• *Lack of action on allegations in the dying declaration of Mr. Kalikho Pul, Former CM, Arunachal Pradesh*: In his suicide note, Mr. Pul made shocking allegations of corruption against senior sitting and retired judges, lawyers and politicians. These allegations need to be investigated in a credible manner since a suicide note is like a dying declaration. There needs to be an independent investigation by a SIT to probe the allegations of corruption in this suicide note.

• *Lack of transparency and accountability of political funding*: Despite the orders of the Central Information Commission, political parties are not providing details of their funding under the RTI Act. In fact, the recent changes introduced to political financing could make it even more opaque as they continue to allow for anonymous cash donations upto Rs. 2,000 and also provide for large anonymous donations through the introduction of electoral bonds.

• *Lack of action on allegations of corruption contained in the Sahara-Birla diaries*: The Sahara-Birla papers show that Prime Minister Modi was the largest recipient of black/bribe money (25 crores from Birla and 40 crores from Sahara, as per the records presented to the Supreme Court). While the Supreme Court suppressed this case of investigation into these diaries, there looms an ominous connection now between the Shara Birla diaries and the Pul diary, both of which need a credible independent investigation.

Various organisations like the National Campaign for Peoples’ Right to Information (NCPRI), Campaign for Judicial Accountability & Reform (CJAR), National Alliance of Peoples’ Movements (NAPM) and the Anti Corruption Team of Swaraj Abhiyan participated in the protest.

The District Adivasi Kalyan Sangha of Turekela, branch has blocked the road at Turekela district Balangir demanding the removal of Kalahandi SP.  The protest is led by district President Chouban Kishor Baba. According to the protestors, the government is always trying to repress the adivasis.  A few days ago the Kalahandi SP has arrested innocent adivasi and booked them under Arm Act and sent to jail. Now the adivasi anotagonist Kalahandi S should be immediately removed from the post. If the demand is not fulfilled then the Adivasi Sangha has threatened to escalate the move in future.

Mao banner has been found again in Balangir district. After the silence of a few days, the Maoist have exhibit their presence in Balangir. On Tuesday, Maoist have posted a banner at Gudighat village under Muribahal police station. Three such banners have been found in different place of Gudighat village.

In the banner, the Maoist have called on to celebrate 117^th Women Day through the banner. Women should fight to get equal rights like man. Woman should get equal pay with man. Women should oppose the exploitation against them and they should oppose the police and state’s violence. As per the mention in the banner the call has been given by Biplabi Mahila Sangathan Balangir, Bargarh , Mahasamud Division.

The District Adivasi Kalyan Sangha has obstruct the 42 number State Highway (Kantabanji-Bangomunda) to demanding expel of Kalahandi SP. The obstruction protest was led by Suresh Bhoi.

A memorandum has been given to the Balangir Collector through the Additional Tehsildar, Bangomunda.