With the onset of summer, 21 of the 213 local bodies in the State are facing severe water scarcity. Minister for Urban Development Vinaykumar Sorake on Monday said that the government has already identified some such areas, including Chikkaballapur, Kolar, Pavagada and Tumakuru. The government is exploring the option of exploiting water sources in tanks and lakes to satisfy demand in these places. That apart, there will also be a crackdown on water theft and pilferage.
“Local bodies collect tax for water supply. However, some local bodies are not collecting it properly and neither are they depositing part of it with the Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Drainage Board (KUWSDB), which executes drinking water projects in the State,” he said. Mr. Sorake pointed out that the board did not get funds amounting to Rs. 950 crore from the Centre under various schemes, including Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission, last year. “Due to this, the board is not able to float tenders for on-going projects and take up new ones. We have appealed to the Centre to release funds this year,” he added.
B.C. Chandrashekhar, chairperson, KUWSDB, said that in Mysuru, the board tried distributing water based on the population. This method will be tried in Hubballi-Dharwad and Kalaburagi too.
