Anjali Sharma
GG News Bureau
UNITED NATIONS, 14th July. UN human rights experts on Thursday called the Government of Uruguay to take action to prioritize water intake for human consumption said that a considerable increase in salt levels in drinking water in Uruguay is affecting over 60 percent of the population,.
The experts said in a statement issued that “The continuous decline in water quality due to increased salinity levels in its composition is alarming. This situation significantly impacts vulnerable groups, such as children and adolescents, pregnant women and people suffering from chronic diseases.”
They warned that health authorities have urged vulnerable groups to purchase bottled water, “this may create a risk of de facto water privatization for human consumption,”.
“We recognize the government’s efforts to reduce water taxes. However, measures must be deepened to ensure that all people can access the water necessary for life,” the experts said.
The government has recommended reducing household water consumption.
They said these restrictions do not apply to large-scale consumers, such as industries using water for production.
The experts added that the over-exploitation of water, particularly by some industries, is an underlying issue in the overall problem.
“Uruguay must put human consumption at the forefront, as indicated by international human rights standards,” they said.
Experts have been warning for years that the expansion of concessions to water-intensive industries was leading to water pollution and shortages in the country.
“Water for human consumption represents barely five per cent of the total supply of drinking water. Consequently, failure to prioritize its use is unacceptable,” they said.
They recalled that the human right to water implies that supply must be accessible, free of pollutants and managed sustainably,
“Businesses, including state-owned enterprises, have a responsibility to respect human rights at all times, and States have an obligation to ensure the protection of this right by guaranteeing universal access to safe drinking water, even during emergencies,” they added.
Pedro Arrojo-Agudo, UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation, and the members of the Working Group on Business and Human Rights.
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