With conventional power not available in remote areas, the government is preparing to implement solar energy-based pipe water supply scheme, a government of India-assisted scheme, in 18 of Integrat

Under a Central programme, sustainability works are being taken up on priority in over-exploited rural areas

The Karnataka government is drawing up a new project to recharge borewells in the backdrop of over-exploitation of ground water, drying up of 50,000 handpumps and "life-less" position of 12,000 tanks in the state, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister H K Patil said today.

Water with impurities cause cancer, birth defects, fluorosis and miscarriages

'There was no Monitoring Cell to supervise expenditure incurred by Panchayat Raj bodies'

The government of Karnataka has failed to achieve the target of providing safe drinking water to 17.35 per cent of the state’s rural habitations during 2012-13 and spent only 46 per cent of Rs 800.38 crore allocated under the National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) till January 31, two months before the end of the financial year.

The state government has also missed the target of addressing the problem of contaminated drinking water in 2,467 rural habitations and is estimated to have helped only 1,500 in the just-concluded financial year.

In what could be a slight setback to the government's programme to bring safe and adequate drinking water to all rural households, only around 67 per cent of the targets have been met under the Nat

Money for improving quality of drinking water in rural areas

The governments of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and some other states have drawn the ire of the Centre for failing to report the utilisation of funds provided to them for improving quality of drinking water in rural areas in the current financial year. Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh are also among the States, which could spend less than 50 per cent of the support fund the Centre provided to them under the National Rural Drinking Water Programme, prompting the latter to threaten to put on hold the release of the second installment of the total annual allocation made for them.

The Union government has sanctioned a Rs 402-crore contingency plan, under the National Rural Drinking Water Programme, to tide over the water crisis in the State.

The move follows recommendations by task forces of various districts, said Revenue Secretary (disaster management) Tushar Girinath, here on Tuesday. He told a press conference that the funds will be utilised for all the drought-prone districts in the State. While Mysore district gets Rs 13.41 crore, Chamarajanagar will receive Rs 21 crore.