World Bank to fund USD 363 million to revive 500 rural reservoirs in seven water-stressed districts of Karnataka

Water bodies of Bengaluru Rural, Bengaluru Urban, Bidar, Chikkaballapura, Kalaburagi, Kolar and Tumakuru will be revived to help increase water storage capacity and groundwater recharge

According to a release by World Bank, the assistance will support Karnataka’s ambition to provide functioning tap water connections to every rural household in the state. | Photo Credit: SRIRAM MA

The World Bank has approved a 363 million dollar (USD) loan to Karnataka to provide a clean and safe drinking water to two million rural households in Karnataka through a piped water connection.

The loan has a maturity of 13.5 years including a grace period of two years. Almost 77% of Karnataka is arid or semi-arid and is vulnerable to climate-change-related variable rainfall causing droughts and floods, leading to groundwater depletion, and deteriorating water quality, according to the World Bank.

Under the programme, around 500 rural water reservoirs in seven water-stressed districts of Bengaluru Rural, Bengaluru Urban, Bidar, Chikkaballapura, Kalaburagi, Kolar and Tumakuru will be revived to help increase water storage capacity and groundwater recharge.

Tap water connections to all rural households

According to a release by World Bank, the assistance will support Karnataka’s ambition to provide functioning tap water connections to every rural household in the state.

“Gender parity is at the heart of our support to India’s target to get piped water to all rural households,” said Auguste Tano Kouame, the World Bank’s Country Director for India.

“Importantly, the program will enhance the capacity of rural local governments to manage water supply services efficiently which will directly benefit women especially, as they bear the biggest burden of fetching water. They will now have better health and have more time to pursue opportunities for education and formal jobs,” the release said.

Additional financing from Jaladhare programme

Besides the World Bank funding, the financing for the project will come from the State government through Jaladhare, which will be funded through the state budget, Gram Panchayat’s (GPs) own sources, and collection of water rate from the households.

Karnataka’s Jaladhare rural water supply program was announced in 2018, to provide safe and sustainable drinking water at the rate of 55 lpcd in rural areas by treating water drawn from rivers or reservoirs.

The Karnataka government set a goal that all rural households of Karnataka should be provided with functional household tap connection (FHTC) at the earliest to achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) on Safe Drinking Water.