Karnataka is investing ₹67,000 crore in Single-Village and Multi-Village Drinking Water Schemes to expand surface-water supplies to rural areas amid declining groundwater levels, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Eshwar B. Khandre said during a departmental review in Shivamogga. Around 80% of Single-Village Scheme works have been completed, while 40% of Multi-Village Scheme works remain pending. Khandre directed officials to expedite delayed projects and address immediate shortages through hired private borewells and tanker supplies, with prompt payments to operators. He also called for the utilisation of unspent funds to drill borewells ahead of summer and said forest-clearance delays affecting pipeline construction would be addressed through discussions with senior officials. Panchayat development officers were warned of disciplinary action if village drinking-water problems were not resolved within 24 hours. The initiative highlights the importance of accelerating infrastructure delivery, strengthening emergency water-supply arrangements and reducing rural dependence on increasingly stressed groundwater resources.
Source: The Times of India