As many as 35 taluks in nine districts have been declared drought-hit and 700 villages in seven districts are reeling under a severe drinking water crisis, the State Government informed the Legislative Assembly on Monday.
A sum of Rs. 267.49 crore has been released to Task Forces headed by legislators to mitigate water shortage.
Replying to the debate over drinking water which took an ugly turn last week, Revenue Minister V. Srinivas Prasad said 700 villages of Kolar, Dharwad, Bengaluru Rural, Mysuru, Bengaluru Urban, Ramanagaram and Chikkaballapur have been facing drinking water shortage. Water is being supplied to these villages through 1140 tankers.
Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister H.K. Patil said Rs. 267.49 crore had been released to the Task Forces during 2014-15. Of this, only Rs 99.06 crore had been spent and Rs 168.42 crore was unspent. The Task Forces were not functioning effectively, Mr Patil said.
Last Monday, the Assembly plunged into a pandemonium over the drinking water crisis in the parched districts of Kolar and Chikkaballapur.
