Karnataka govt takes steps to prevent drinking water shortage in rural areas during summer
Bengaluru (PTI): The state government has initiated proactive measures to ensure that rural communities do not face drinking water shortages during the upcoming summer season, Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge said on Tuesday.
The district administrations have been instructed to closely monitor the situation and take immediate measures, including hiring private borewells on a rental basis and supplying water through tankers wherever required.
To strengthen water availability, dried borewells will be restored through flushing and deepening, while new borewells will be drilled in unavoidable cases based on technical recommendations from geologists, said Kharge, the Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, and Information Technology & Biotechnology.
"Along with restoring dried borewells, we have directed Gram Panchayats to conduct water quality testing and ensure proper cleaning of overhead tanks so that safe drinking water is available to rural communities," he added.
An official statement issued by the minister's office said that as several parts of the state experience dry conditions during summer, many existing rural water sources tend to run dry, leading to potential shortages.
To address this, the government has put in place daily monitoring mechanisms and directed officials to take immediate action wherever shortages arise, it said.
To ensure the supply of safe drinking water, Gram Panchayats have been instructed to collect samples from all drinking water sources, conduct water quality testing from at least three tap connections in each village and ensure the cleaning of all overhead tanks as per prescribed guidelines, it added.
According to official data, drinking water shortages have already been reported in 183 villages across 144 taluks in 21 districts of the state.
"Currently, 183 villages are facing drinking water shortages. Of these, 31 villages are being supplied water through 96 tankers, while 152 villages are receiving water through 154 rented private borewells. District administrations have been directed to address the situation on priority," the minister said.
According to him, during March 2026, approximately 1,053 borewells are expected to be repaired through flushing and deepening. In emergency situations, new borewells will also be drilled wherever necessary.
To ensure uninterrupted drinking water supply during the summer of 2026, funds for emergency works will be mobilised from the Central and State Drought Relief Funds as well as the department's Task Force funds, he said.
The minister also directed Gram Panchayats, Taluk Panchayats, and district administrations to work in close coordination to effectively manage and maintain drinking water supply across rural areas.
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Became finance minister first time at Deve Gowda's insistence: Siddaramaiah
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who recently presented his record 17th Budget as the state's finance minister, recalled on Tuesday that he first took on the responsibility in 1994 at the insistence of then CM H D Deve Gowda.
Speaking in the Legislative Assembly, he said that if he had not accepted the responsibility then, he wouldn't have presented the record number of budgets.
"Deve Gowda was the chief minister. I asked for the Revenue Department during the meeting at senior leader R L Jalappa's office at his medical college.... But Jalappa said he wanted the Revenue portfolio, so that department went to him. When I asked what would be given to me, Gowda said to take the Finance Department. I told him I didn't want Finance, but Gowda insisted, saying that they wanted a trusted person," Siddaramaiah said.
He said, "I did not know economics, nor had I studied it, so I said I didn't want that department. But Gowda forcefully gave that portfolio to me."
At this point, Leader of Opposition R Ashoka, quipped that Gowda might have had farsightedness. "Since you (Siddaramaiah) became finance minister then, today you have presented 17 budgets. If not, I'm not sure what would have happened....you should thank him (Gowda) for it."
Siddaramaiah replied to Ashoka, saying, "If not then, he would never have become (the finance minister)."
The issue arose as Ashoka, while comparing the first Budget presented by Siddaramaiah for 1995-96 to the one presented by him last week said, "it (the first budget) had weight....there is nothing in this budget compared to it."
Noting that Siddaramaiah himself previously stated that he faced criticism when he first became the finance minister with comments like, "How can a person who cannot count a hundred sheep present a state budget?", Ashoka said, "It was Gowda who made such a person the finance minister."
Siddaramaiah hails from the Kuruba (shepherd) community.
Siddaramaiah's relationship with JD(S) patriarch and former Prime Minister Deve Gowda is now considered as "friends-turned-foes" in Karnataka's political circles, after the former was thrown out of the JD(S) in 2005 for anti-party activities.
