{"id":1457,"date":"2013-08-09T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2013-08-08T23:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/%20rroma.org\/09-08-2013-dispute-over-water-in-the-northern-hungarian-town-ozd\/"},"modified":"2022-07-24T15:22:35","modified_gmt":"2022-07-24T14:22:35","slug":"09-08-2013-dispute-over-water-in-the-northern-hungarian-town-ozd","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rroma.org\/fr\/09-08-2013-dispute-over-water-in-the-northern-hungarian-town-ozd\/","title":{"rendered":"09.08.2013 Dispute over Water in the Northern Hungarian Town Ozd"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tnorthern Hungarian Town of Ozd, a dispute over drinking water arose. The city \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tadministration turned off drinking water to the local Rroma. The reason: they are \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\twasting public commodities. Particular point of contention: the government of \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOzd received one and a half million forints for the water supply of the Rroma \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tquarters in qustion by the Swiss Confederation. In Ozd, during summer days, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\ttemperatures rise to over 37 degrees in the shade. The Fidesz party, currently \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\truling in Ozd, is repeatedly accused to promote policies that are against Rroma \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t(Schroeder 2013).<\/p>\n

The Tagesanzeiger \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t(2013) adds that the Swiss government planned to finance the building of a water \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tsupply for 7 million Swiss francs in the Rroma quarter. We need to note that \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tthis is a huge sum by Hungarian standards and that its effective use should be \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tinvestigated prior to funding. The project was on the verge of implementation: \u201cThe Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (EDA) \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tconfirmed that Switzerland finances, in the context of the EU enlargement \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tcontributions to Hungary, several infrastructure projects, including the \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdrinking water system in Ozd totaling more than 7 million francs. With this project, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\twhich stands now just before its implementation phase, Switzerland wants to \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tachieve, among other things, a sustainable water supply for the Roma \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tpopulation, wrote the EDA.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Human \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\trights activists and social workers on site describe the situation as dramatic: \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tEspecially Women and children are particularly affected by limited access to \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tsafe drinking water. The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (EDA) gave to \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tunderstand that the Hungarian project partners who will create the water supply \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tfinanced by Switzerland, had assured that all city residents would have access \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tto drinking water. How local circumstances actually look like remains unclear. With \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tsome doubts remaining, \u00a0one should pay \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tmore attention to critical descriptions (Tagesanzeiger, \u00a02013\/II).<\/p>\n

Baumann \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t(2013) substantiated the charge that the city of Ozd had decided in June to \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclose 27 of the public water sources and to reduce the overall pressure. According \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tto local authorities, it is possible as before, to get free water every 150 \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tmeters. The Rroma living in Ozd have no running water in their homes, so they depend \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\ton the availability of water at public facilities. The real issue therefore \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tappears to be getting water without payment.<\/p>\n

Knopf \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t(2013) clarifies the reports with the note, that the order of Interior Minister \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSandor Pinter means that most hydrants were reopened in Ozd. The reopening of \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tthe water supply affects all residents of Ozd and not just Rroma. At issue is a \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tredevelopment of the entire water supply system. The EDA stated it awaits the the \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tresult of the investigation of Hungarian Ombudsman for fundamental rights.<\/p>\n

Odehnal \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t(2013\/III) adds in his article dated 9 August, that only 15 of the 27 blocked \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\twater pumps were reopened and that the water pressure was reduced from 50 to \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tfive litres per minute. Moreover, only the main water pipes of the village were \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\trenewed. The connection\u00a0 of the \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\thouses to the water mains has to be paid by the home owners themselves. According \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tto Odehnal, this is a crucial point, as almost none of the Rroma in Ozd have \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\twater connections in their homes. They thus will not benefit from the Swiss aid \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tproject. In addition to the cost of a private water supply there is the hurdle \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tof mandatory reporting: Many Roma pay rent, but live illegally in their homes. \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWithout registration form, it is not possible to apply for a water connection. \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOdehnal comments succinctly at the end of the article: \u201cWhen the steel mill was \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tstill in operation, Ozd spent 6 million cubic meters of water a year. Today, it \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tis approximately 1.3 million. The reservoir and the lines are still designed \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tfor the old sets. Water shortage? The workers of the water company laugh, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t“No, that is something that never happened here.”\u201c<\/p>\n