Rs 4,500 Lakh Allocated For Drinking Water Relief Across Rural Karnataka

KALABURAGI: In a major push to tackle summer water scarcity, the Karnataka government has sanctioned Rs 4,500 lakh for emergency drinking water measures across rural districts. Announcing the allocation, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge said the funds will be used for emergency interventions such as tanker supply, hiring of private borewells and revival of defunct sources to ensure uninterrupted access to safe drinking water. The funds have been released under the State Plan for 2026–27 through the Rural Drinking Water and Sanitation Department. Of the total outlay, Rs 3,415.50 lakh has been earmarked for capital expenditure, Rs 771.75 lakh under the Scheduled Caste Sub-Plan (SCP), and Rs 312.75 lakh under the Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP), ensuring equitable distribution. “Ensuring access to safe drinking water, especially during the summer months, is a top priority for the government. This allocation is aimed at enabling swift, localised responses in water-scarce regions. District administrations must act promptly and responsibly to ensure that no village faces distress due to lack of drinking water,” the Minister said. Districts including Kalaburagi, Belagavi, Kolar, Raichur, Ramanagara and Tumakuru have been allotted Rs 200 lakh each. Bagalkote, Ballari, Bengaluru (Urban), Bidar, Chikkamagaluru, Chitradurga, Mysuru, Shivamogga, Vijayanagara, Vijayapura, Bengaluru (Rural), Chamarajanagar, Chikkaballapura, Hassan, Haveri, Koppal and Yadgiri, have been allocated Rs 150 lakh each. Meanwhile, Dharwad, Gadag, Kodagu, Mandya, Dakshina Kannada, Davanagere, Udupi and Uttara Kannada have been sanctioned Rs 100 lakh each. Kharge directed district administrations to prioritise tanker-based supply and the use of rented borewells in areas facing acute shortages. He also stressed the need to revive defunct borewells through flushing and deepening, while advising that new borewell drilling be taken up only as a last resort based on technical inputs. Emphasising accountability, Kharge instructed officials to ensure transparency, quality standards and real-time monitoring of works, with Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officers and engineers tasked with overseeing implementation. “Alongside immediate relief measures, it is equally important to strengthen monitoring and accountability. We are focusing on both rapid response and efficient utilisation of resources to safeguard public health and improve quality of life in rural communities,” he added.



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