World Bank supports rural water and sanitation services
in Karnataka

December 20, 2001—Worldwide, more than one billion people lack access to safe water, and nearly two billion do not have safe sanitation contributing to over three million deaths annually from avoidable water-related diseases. In India, water-related diseases are a major health problem—particularly for infants and children. And for women and children, fetching water remains one of the most arduous and time-consuming daily tasks. Improving access to water and sanitation services of the rural population, therefore, results in multiple health and economic benefits.

Now, the Indian State Government of Karnataka will increase rural communities' access to improved and sustainable drinking water and sanitation services through a US$151.6 million World Bank credit for the Second Karnataka Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Project.

Despite the impressive statistical coverage of provision of drinking water facilities in rural areas, there is a great deal of concern about both the quality and quantity of water reaching those who do have access and about the sustainability of investments. In addition, the level of environmental sanitation in rural areas is extremely low.

"Providing the local governments and user groups the authority and control over decisions and resources is the key to creating ownership and achieving the sustainability of water and sanitation services," says Ghanasham Abhyankar, Senior Sanitary Engineer and Task Leader for the project.

"This should make the resource allocations more responsive to the poor and increase the power of the poor to negotiate. The proposed project will build on the success of the first Karnataka rural water supply and sanitation project and will be a major step towards the state Government's vision of scaling up sector reforms statewide."

The project will be implemented in eleven districts of northern Karnataka. The project area includes rain-fed and mostly arid region of the state, which also has a larger proportion of the state's poor and socially disadvantaged people. The project is expected to directly benefit about four million people. In addition, the program will also be specifically targeted to meet the special needs of about 200,000 people in tribal communities. Women would be the primary beneficiaries through timesaving in collecting water, better health from more and cleaner water, improved sanitation and better hygiene practices.