Urban areas’ thirst to be quenched

Chief minister DV Sadananda Gowda announced on Wednesday that a master plan would be formulated to ensure regular drinking water supply in all urban areas in the next five years. The role of Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Drainage Board (KUWS&DB) will become more focused as a bulk water transmission entity for all urban areas.

The budget provided Rs8797 crore for urban development. Under chief minister’s small & medium town development programme, focus will be on large infrastructural projects for water supply and underground drainage. A sum of Rs1591 crore has been allocated for this during 2012-13 and the projects will be completed in three years. To provide an equitable right to livelihood to street vendors, a bill will be introduced in August.
Reacting to the drinking water plan, Kshitij Urs, convenor of People’s Campaign for Water, said ‘24/7 water supply’ was a misnomer. The term was coined by a UK professor to mean privatisation of water. “The state is all set to create unsustainable and creditworthy cities. We have done away with traditional wisdom and are making lakes dry to facilitate privatisation of water,” Urs said.

“The budget should have done away with this socially and ecologically unjust and financially imprudent idea. Water is made a commodity and commercial product by Congress and BJP parties. The chief minister does not know what he is proposing in the budget. He is being guided by bureaucrats who have been brought by corporates,” Urs added.

Convenor of People's Campaign for Water