Access to water does not assure quality

Water contamination in Karnataka calls for quality-focused reforms and regularised monitoring.

Karnataka prides itself as one of India’s richest states. Yet it has failed to provide clean, potable drinking water to thousands of villages – over 1,800 villages consume nitrate-contaminated water, while more than 1,300 are affected by fluoride and excessive hardness.

This is a reminder that mere access to a tap does not guarantee safe water. Districts such as Chitradurga, Koppal, and Raichur face multiple contaminants, including arsenic and bacterial pollution. More troubling is what remains unmeasured – other pollutants often escape systematic recording due to weak monitoring.

The deeper malaise lies in governance gaps. Testing remains irregular, triggered more by disease outbreaks than routine surveillance. The absence of a standard operating procedure, coupled with staff shortages across the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board and health departments, has created a data vacuum.

While the government maintains contamination levels are declining, the fact that 5-6% of samples fail safety standards suggests the problem is far from contained.

This is not a Karnataka-specific challenge. The United Nations emphasises that safe water must meet five criteria: availability, quality, accessibility, affordability, and acceptability. India’s policy focus has largely been on expanding tap connections, but quality remains inconsistent and often neglected.

In Indore, touted as India’s cleanest city, thousands recently fell sick after consuming contaminated water supplied by the civic body. In Gandhinagar, Gujarat, pipeline leaks triggered a typhoid outbreak, while industrial pollution continues to degrade groundwater.

Cities in Uttar Pradesh have reported people taking ill after consuming contaminated water due to ageing pipelines that allow sewage ingress.

However, states like Kerala consistently rank high in water quality. Its approach combines decentralised water management, strong local governance, protection of catchment areas, and sustained investment in purification systems.

Odisha has pioneered ‘drink from tap’ initiatives backed by robust treatment infrastructure, while community-led testing models in parts of Gujarat have improved last-mile monitoring and accountability. Karnataka must draw from these examples and move beyond piecemeal fixes to a comprehensive state-wide strategy.

The shift from groundwater dependence to treated surface water sources, regularised testing through clear protocols, and community participation in monitoring are essential. Equally important is restoring and protecting local water bodies, many of which are now severely polluted.

The debate must move from counting connections to ensuring quality. Safe drinking water is not merely an infrastructure goal; it is a public health imperative and a fundamental right. Until the State closes the gap between access and safety, the promise of clean water will remain unfulfilled.