In London, several thousand people march to demand greater action by public authorities against water pollution, a phenomenon that has taken on significant proportions in the United Kingdom. Participants in this “March for Clean Water”, many of whom are dressed in blue, carry banners reading “We are drowning in s…” and have called on the government to “stop poisoning Britain’s rivers”.
Britain’s water sector, privatized in 1989, is in crisis due to underinvestment in a sewerage system that largely dates back to the Victorian era. Its companies are particularly criticized for discharging wastewater into the environment, causing pollution of coasts and waterways. The authorities have been under pressure to remedy this situation for several years and companies have already been fined.
In September the Labor government introduced a bill to toughen sanctions against water company executives. Today the protesters are calling in particular for a reform of the sector regulator, Ofwat, which “has completely failed in its mission to ensure the responsibility of water companies”, declared the British naturalist and presenter Chris Packham present at the march, gathered at appeal from organizations such as River Action or Greenpeace. “Caring for our environment is an investment in our entire future,” Packham told Times radio. (AGI)
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