The minister asks gram panchayats around Bengaluru to prioritize long-term solutions to drinking water problems

Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda said a portion of gram panchayat grants should be earmarked for permanent infrastructure, especially drinking water and waste management. | Photo credit: File photo

Greater Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda on Wednesday chaired a review meeting of the Bengaluru urban district under the Karnataka Development Program (KDP) and directed officials to ensure that gram panchayats make full use of funds to address drinking water scarcity in rural areas of the district. He directed officials to focus on permanent infrastructure instead of temporary measures.

Mr. Gowda said at the KDP review meeting in the first quarter of 2026-27 that drinking water should be considered as a basic infrastructure requirement. He asked officials to look into reusing defunct well connections instead of routinely drilling new ones. “Several proposals are coming up to get funds for drilling new wells. There are more than 1,000 wells which have remained defunct for years. The RR numbers of these inactive wells should be transferred to new connections whenever possible,” he said.

Mr. Gowda directed the officials to complete the exercise before the next review meeting. He said a portion of the gram panchayat grants should be earmarked for permanent infrastructure, especially drinking water and waste management. “Development cannot be measured only by how much money has been spent. Every rupee spent must translate into a solution to a problem faced by the people,” he said.

He expressed concern over waste management in rural areas and said a more scientific approach was needed to tackle the problem.

The minister said the space for new roads has been identified within the Bengaluru Metropolitan Region Development Authority (BMRDA) limits around Bengaluru following an exercise conducted last year. Some existing roads would also be widened, he said, warning that strict action would be taken against officials if negligence or rule violations were found while implementing the projects.

He further directed officials to identify vacant sites under gram panchayat jurisdiction for development of parks, playgrounds and sports facilities. Such a plot of land should be formally handed over for this purpose with compound walls constructed on priority followed by development of facilities based on availability of funds.

Published – 16 Sep 2026 22:02 IST