BENGALURU: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah informed Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil that Karnataka has delivered 88.06 lakh functional household tap connections out of 101.31 lakh rural households, reaching 86.93% coverage as of April 2026.
He said of the 66,344 works taken up under the programme, 48,789 have been physically completed. This includes 28,809 in-village works and 19,980 projects in schools and anganwadis, strengthening grassroots infrastructure. “The state remains committed to completing all pending works in a time-bound manner,’’ he said during a video conference with the Union minister on Wednesday.
Siddaramaiah said they are commitment to ensuring safe and sustainable drinking water for every citizen. “Karnataka, the second most arid state in the country, continues to face structural water stress, compounded by arsenic and fluoride contamination in several regions. In response, we have adopted a long-term, sustainability-driven approach, prioritising surface water sources and implementing bulk water supply systems to ensure safe and reliable drinking water for every rural household,’’ he said.
The CM said Karnataka has upheld uncompromising quality standards in execution. “Every project under the mission has been independently verified by third-party inspection agencies, ensuring durability, transparency and engineering excellence,’’ he said.
He also slammed the Union government and said despite the absence of central support over the past two years, Karnataka has invested Rs 17,554.63 crore, including Rs 8,880.71 crore, towards the anticipated central share. “It is unfortunate that despite demonstrating uncompromising standards in execution and the state’s capacity to drive the nation’s progress, the Union government continues to delay the release of funds,’’ he said.
The Union government has effectively starved Karnataka of funds for over two years, despite making budgetary allocations and the state stepping in to finance even the Centre’s share to keep the mission on track, Siddaramaiah said.
The state is simultaneously focusing on building strong institutional and operational systems. “Karnataka is among the first states to implement a comprehensive operation and maintenance policy. He said over 1.51 lakh women have been trained in water quality testing and strengthening community ownership. “To ensure quality, Karnataka engaged Bureau Veritas for independent verification, conducting sampling-based inspections, document reviews and technical tests, ensuring sustainable performance and functionality of works,’’ he added.