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New scheme to increase water supply to rural areas in Dharwad

DHARWAD: In a bid to overcome the chronic problem of shortage of drinking water in rural areas of Dharwad district, the zilla panchayat has embarked upon a long-term plan to increase water supply .

ZP CEO B C Satish said the project will be completed this year. He was answering queries from reporters at the ‘Meet the Press’ organised by the Dharwad Journalists’ Guild here on Thursday.



Giving details on the new projects, Satish said at present the ZP is supplying 55 litres of water per person per day. However, the new project, which is a national mission, will ensure that each person gets 120 litres of water per day, he said.

As per statistics, last year, only nine villages of the total 388 habitations received 13.20 litres per person per day while 142 villages received 27 litres of water per person per day.

This year, under the National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) and taskforce programme, permanent drinking water scheme will be implemented in these villages so that they get 120 litres per person per day.

The CEO claimed that there is no drinking water problem in 72 villages which come under the Malaprabha Right Bank Canal (MRBC) as the water is being released in two phases from Naviluteertha dam. There is demand for more surface water than for borewell water in rural areas and hence, the scheme will focus on refilling the local tanks so that people can use them for their daily activities, he said.

The ZP under the Jaladhaare water scheme had submitted a proposal of Rs 1,043 crore to the RDPR department. However, the higher officials stating that the investment per person under this scheme is high have asked for modifications. Hence, Dharwad district could not figure among the four districts selected for the Jaladhaare scheme, said Satish, adding that the ZP will send a modified proposal and see that Dharwad district bags this project next year.

Referring to the activities taken up to ease water woes, Satish said new borewells have been drilled and the existing borewells have been deepened and flushed. The underground water table has depleted and new borewells are sunk up to 400 feet to get three inches water.

To recharge underground water, the ZP has decided to construct as many as 170 check dams at a cost of Rs 4.12 lakh each in five rural constituencies apart from planting nearly one lakh bio-fuel saplings on the edge of the fields. This mega afforestation drive will be held on June 5 which happens to be the World Environment Day, he added.

To a query on supplying clean drinking water to rural parts, the CEO said a total of 458 pure drinking water units are installed in the district of which 410 are working efficiently. People are getting 10 litres of pure drinking water at a cost of Re 1.

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