The World Bank’s executive board of directors approved a US$363 million loan, on March 28, 2023, to provide clean drinking water supply to two million rural households through piped water connection in the Indian state of Karnataka.
According to a World Bank statement, almost 77 per cent of Karnataka is arid or semi-arid and vulnerable to climate-change-related variable rainfall causing droughts and floods, leading to groundwater depletion, and deteriorating water quality.
“The Karnataka Sustainable Rural Water Supply Program will support the Government of Karnataka’s ambition to provide functioning tap water connections to every rural household in the state,” the statement added.
Under the approved loan, the rural water program will include the construction of the drinking water distribution network and the installation of water meters in rural households and will benefit around 10 million people across all 31 districts in the state.
Commenting on the significance of the loan, World Bank’s country director for India, Auguste Tano Kouamé said “Gender parity is at the heart of our support to India’s target to get piped water to all rural households.”
The World Bank’s program aims to support the state government to introduce policies and result-based initiatives that are expected to improve the overall operational efficiency in the delivery of rural water supply services. Under the Program, around 500 rural water reservoirs in seven water-stressed districts will be revived to help increase water storage capacity and groundwater recharge.
