THE INSIDE STORY Water quality comes under CAG fire Unfruitful Expenditure And Misuse Of Funds Show Up In The Report TNN Bangalore:In five years,the Karnataka government spent Rs 93.54 crore to check the quality of water under the National Rural Drinking Water programme.But at the end,the scheme failed with no progress on works,lack of maintenance,planning and seepages.The net result is that a large chunk of the population in North Karnataka is forced to drink water which fluoride and arsenic above the permissible limits. The CAG report termed a major portion of the project unfruitful expenditure of the water supply scheme.The project was not foolproof as it could not prevent the arsenic and fluoride content in water in many places in North Karnataka. Whats worse,so far not a single project of the 300 de-fluoridation plants planned in 2011 as suggested by the National Rural Drinking Water Supply Project has been implemented in Karnataka. In Bangalore (Rural),Bangalore (Urban),Dakshina Kannada,Kodagu and Udupi districts,the local selfgovernment had not sent a single scheme for approval.This indicates the lack of planning to cover the affected habitations in a phased manner,the audit report observes. Under National Rural Drinking Water Programme,the state government had to prepare a five-year rolling plan and a report on each years performance but the state didnt do it.When asked,the state government replied on March 2013,that there was no requirement.The reply was not correct, observed the CAG audit report. The report says that a minimum of 20% expenditure on water quality issues was not achieved during the yearss 2008-09,and 2010-12.There was low priority given to safe drinking water. DIRTY DRINKING WATER Water supply scheme to Mankapura and Kasnal villages in Chikkodi taluk of Belgaum district was done at a cost of Rs 1.15 crore in 2011 after eight years.But the health & family welfare department issued directions in 2011 not to use the water as it was contaminated due to discharge of chemicals from nearby industrial units.This led to the schemes closure and a new scheme is under way.According to CAG,it was the failure of the government in preventing contamination of the sources.Its not just wasteful expenditure of Rs 1.15 crore,but also the denial of safe drinking water to habitations that were already denied of water, said the report. sunitha.rao@timesgroup Whats safe water According to Indian Standard 10500 of the Bureau of Indian Standards,water is safe if it is free from biological contamination such as guinea worm,cholera,etc.Also,these elements should be within permissible limits: arsenic -- less than 0.05 milligram/ litre;fluoride -- less than 1.5 mg /litre;iron --less than 1 mg/litre;nitrate -- less than 45 mg/litre and brackishness less than 2000 mg/litre. TIMES VIEW If the CAG report on water quality across Karnataka doesnt get the government to shake off its lethargy and do something quickly,nothing will.For,the report highlights the abysmal quality of the water that people in the state,especially those in North Karnataka,are forced to drink.The report indicates that were sitting on a public health bomb and the sooner we defuse it,the better.Clean drinking water should be the governments top priority and pumping in enough financial resources to ensure this should be on Siddaramaiahs agenda.
Posted on: Fri, 07 Jun 2013 04:44:59 +0000