7,300 drinking water units to be set up in State

The State government is setting up drinking water units in a phased manner, as it would be difficult to address the entire State’s drinking water demands at one go, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Tuesday.

Siddaramaiah, who dedicated 1,000 pure drinking water units in Vidhana Soudha, said the State’s demand is 62 tmc and a whopping Rs 45,000 crore was required to meet this demand. He said that in the current scenario, ensuring supply of pure drinking water posed a big challenge. Setting up of these units had become inevitable as the groundwater level had depleted owing to deficiency in rainfall.

The drinking units are being set up at places where it is not possible to supply water through river source. The government has aimed to set up 7,300 drinking water units in the coming days. Karnataka Rural Infrastructure Development Ltd (KRIDL) is the implementing agency for the scheme.

Interestingly, Rajya Sabha member Vijay Mallya, who has fled from the country was one of the invitees of the dedication of the pure drinking water units programme.

Mallya, who is facing money laundering charges is being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate. The department, which had invited members of both Houses of the legislature, had also extended an invitation to all the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members from the State.

Department sources said that Mallya’s name was published as part of protocol.