Drinking Water Supply: Rs 1 Crore Allocation For Every Rural Assembly Constituency, Says CM DK Shivakumar
Shivakumar said that the Centre has warned of a severe drought situation across the country and Karnataka has also received below-normal rainfall
Belagavi: Facing the possibility of a drought due to deficient monsoon rains, the Karnataka government has decided to provide Rs 1 crore to every rural Assembly constituency to ensure uninterrupted drinking water supply, Chief Minister DK Shivakumar announced on Thursday. He also asserted that the State would go ahead and not wait for Central assistance to tackle the emerging crisis.
Addressing a press conference after the Belagavi Divisional Progress Review Meeting at Suvarna Vidhana Soudha, Shivakumar said the government had reviewed the drought situation in both Kalaburagi and Belagavi divisions and had directed officials to be fully prepared for any eventuality.
"Although funds have already been provided to Deputy Commissioners, we continue to receive representations about drinking water problems. Therefore, we have taken a special decision here at Suvarna Vidhana Soudha to provide Rs 1 crore to every rural Assembly constituency. I will speak separately about urban constituencies," he said.
Shivakumar said MLAs would head constituency-level committees, which would prepare action plans for drinking water works within the Rs 1 crore allocation.
"We have instructed them to convene committee meetings and finalise the projects. Our priority is to ensure there is no drinking water crisis anywhere in the State," he said.
The Chief Minister said officials had also been directed to conserve all available water in reservoirs for drinking purposes, as there was uncertainty over water availability for irrigation in the coming months. For now every effort should be made to store water meant for drinking purposes," he said.
Shivakumar said that the Centre has warned of a severe drought situation across the country and Karnataka has also received below-normal rainfall. Though parts of Kittur Karnataka have received some rain, the situation remains a concern.
“More than 50 MLAs and MPs participated in the review meeting and suggested measures to mitigate the impact of a possible drought,” he said.
Shivakumar said officials had also been instructed to ensure adequate stocks of seeds and fertilisers for farmers. A separate meeting on fertiliser availability will be held in Bengaluru, he added.
The Chief Minister stated complaints had been received that the Forest Department was delaying drinking water and irrigation projects.
"It has come to our notice that pipeline works at over 60 locations are facing hurdles. Under no circumstances should drinking water projects be obstructed," he said.
The government is also considering cloud seeding after several legislators claimed that pilot experiments funded locally had yielded encouraging results.
"We will study the reports and take a decision after a detailed review," he said.
Referring to the alleged irregularities surrounding donations collected for the Ram Temple, the Chief Minister announced that CCTV cameras would be made mandatory in all temples under the Endowment Department.
"CCTV cameras will be installed in front of hundis, at locations where the donation boxes are opened and where the money is counted. The footage will be linked to the offices of the Deputy Commissioners and Superintendents of Police to ensure transparency," he said.
The Chief Minister also said Karnataka had conveyed its consent to the Centre's proposal for interlinking the Krishna, Cauvery and Godavari rivers under a proposed Rs 1 lakh crore national project, with the Centre expected to bear 90 per cent of the cost and the State the remaining 10 per cent.
Responding to questions on Maharashtra's recent meeting on border issues, Shivakumar said Karnataka was committed to protecting its territorial interests and would take a decision after obtaining a detailed report while keeping in mind the pending court proceedings.
