K'taka's Rs 214 cr water projects fail: Over 30 schemes defunct due to poor planning, maintenance
Bengaluru: At least 32 multi-village water supply schemes across Karnataka, intended to serve over five lakh people, have become dysfunctional, even after Rs 214 crore of taxpayer money was spent.
The failure has been attributed to poor planning, lack of upkeep, open defecation near water sources, and inadequate post-project support, according to a government study cited by Deccan Herald on Thursday.
The study analysed projects implemented between 2000 and 2016 across 13 districts: Bagalkot, Ballari, Belagavi, Bidar, Davangere, Dharwad, Gadag, Kalaburagi, Mysuru, Raichur, Tumakuru, Vijayanagar, and Yadgir.
The defunct schemes are part of a broader set of 437 multi-village drinking water projects implemented across the state at a total cost of Rs 8,456 crore. Of these, 45 schemes, including the 32 examined in the study, have failed to deliver water to the intended beneficiaries.
Despite some schemes being based on "perennial" water sources, including major rivers like Ghataprabha, Malaprabha, Bhima, Krishna, Manjira, Tungabhadra, and Kabini, the projects failed due to factors such as infrastructure damage during road works, mechanical farming activities, floods, and theft of critical assets. Reasons for the failure of other schemes whose water sources were non-perennial are largely similar.
The study also identified institutional failures. In several cases, schemes were abruptly handed over to gram panchayats without the necessary funds for operation and maintenance (O&M). Technical design flaws, inadequate financial planning, and lack of community engagement further contributed to the breakdown of services.
“These reasons bring home the message that it is not sufficient to have a perennial source but a host of other measures are required for the successful operation and maintenance of rural water supply schemes,” the study said.
It also criticised the Rural Drinking Water and Sanitation Department (RDWSD) for focusing narrowly on infrastructure, while neglecting social, institutional, financial, and governance aspects.
Open defecation along riverbanks has led to widespread public distrust in water quality, the report found. Additionally, there is competition between farmer groups drawing water for irrigation and RDWSD efforts to secure supply for domestic use—particularly in river-based schemes.
The study warned that the state government must learn from these failures, especially as it spending another Rs 18,897 crore on 89 new multi-village water supply schemes.
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K'taka remains central to Aequs' strategy, says min Patil amid row over firm's investment in TN
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Commerce and Industries Minister M B Patil on Monday asserted that Aequs continues to expand in the state and that its proposed investment in neighbouring Tamil Nadu was a business decision aimed at diversification, not a shift away from Karnataka.
Reacting to criticism on social media over reports that the Karnataka-based firm had signed a major investment deal in Tamil Nadu's Krishnagiri district for setting up a specialised aerospace and defense manufacturing cluster, he said the state government was fully aware of the company's plans and remained confident about its long-term commitment to Karnataka.
"While we welcome every major investment in India, would like to clarify a few points," Patil said in a post on 'X'.
Aequs was significantly expanding its footprint within Karnataka, including a Rs 3,000 crore investment in Kolar for electronics manufacturing.
"Its recently approved Rs 1,500 crore ECMS project will also be grounded in the state. Karnataka remains central to its long-term strategy," he said.
Patil added that the government had prior knowledge of the TN proposal.
The government was already informed and aware that the TN investment is a business decision aimed at geographic diversification and de-risking operations, not a shift away from Karnataka.
"Healthy competition between states strengthens India's manufacturing ecosystem," he said.
Emphasising the state's focus on high-technology sectors, Patil said, "We remain committed to deepening Karnataka's leadership in aerospace and advanced manufacturing, and our engagement with industry partners is strong and ongoing."
The Aequs Group has pledged Rs 4,000 crore to bolster Tamil Nadu's aerospace manufacturing capabilities at the SIPCOT-Shoolagiri Industrial Park in Krishnagiri district.
The group proposes to establish a specialised aerospace and defense manufacturing cluster for the production of aircraft engines, gearbox components, and precision engineering parts. This initiative is expected to provide employment to 7,000 individuals.
