BENGALURU: Karnataka Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Eshwar B Khandre on Thursday launched a GIS-based mobile and web application to ensure scientific management of rural water assets, improve transparency and prevent fraudulent billing.The application will geo-tag rural water supply assets and record details of their physical condition, operation and maintenance.
The application is developed by the Rural Drinking Water and Sanitation Department in collaboration with the Karnataka State Remote Sensing Applications Centre (KSRSAC).
The app can geo-tag assets with an accuracy of up to five metres. Borewells, overhead tanks, open wells, pump houses, water treatment plants, reservoirs, lakes, laboratories and hand pumps are covered under the system. According to Khandre, the state has over three lakh water assets, which are expected to be digitised by the end of September. At present, more than 70,000 such assets have been documented. The initiative will have a three-stage verification mechanism.
RDPR engineers shall carry out physical and random inspections at different levels. Khandre said geo-tagging would help prevent fake billing for works that have not been executed and enable authorities to monitor the quality and status of assets.
He directed officials to remove pump sets and electricity connections from non-functional borewells to avoid unnecessary power bills. He said 7700 borewells have been recharged so far, while more borewells suitable for recharge are being identified.