Karnataka urban drinking water and sanitation policy (2002)

Increasing urbanization has resulted in greater pressure on the existing urban water supply and sanitation systems leading to increasing demand on the one hand to augment the source and improve distribution and on the other to increase the coverage of underground drainage (UGD).

The Government of Karnataka in partnership with urban local bodies in the State, the Karnataka Urban Water Supply & Drainage Board (KUWS&DB) and the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) will continue and strengthen its efforts to provide all residents of urban areas of the State, piped water supply and sanitation services at or near their dwellings.

The efforts of the Government of Karnataka and its partner agencies will be to -

• Ensure universal coverage of water and sanitation services that people want and are willing to pay for and
• To do so in a manner that preserves the sustainability of the precious water resources of the State, project and enhances the commercial and economical sustainability of the operations at the same time.
• Ensure a minimum level of service to all citizens.

The Government of Karnataka will continue to be responsible for:

• Policy formulation
• Ensuring provision of the bulk of the resources required for capacity creation
• Regulation, monitoring and evaluation of the efficiency of operations, including prescribing reporting requirements, procurement procedures, etc.,
• Setting minimal service standard
• Encouraging the use of public private partnerships as well as private sector participation to achieve the sector goals
• Promotion of the economic and commercial viability of water supply systems and the exploitation of economies of scale and scope by appropriate aggregation options
• Institution of necessary incentives for urban local bodies and other service providers to implement sector reforms
• Ensuring co-ordination and collaboration among the various agencies both at the policy and operational level through the establishment of appropriate committees and agencies.
• The sector strategy and action plan to be announced as follow up to this policy contain details of the legislative, institutional and co-ordination mechanisms that are needed to be put in place to carry forward the policy.

Read the policy