The sale of the river, which was a major source of water for the people of the region, has been routed through Poonam Beverages, a new firm belonging to the Coimbatore-based Annapooma Hotels, who will draw 1,00,000 liters/day to supply it to Kinley, Coca Cola's bottled water. The annual fees that Poonam Beverage has paid the government is a mere Rs. 5,00,000 (approx US$ 10,000), for which hundreds of thousands of people are being denied a vital resource, that is their natural right, and without which they cannot survive.

Source: Navdanya