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Policy Brief
BOX 3: 24X7 WATER SUPPLY IN KARNATAKA Gap Analysis of Urban Water Supply Policies and
Programmes
Pilot projects by Karnataka Urban Water Sector Improvement Project (KUWASIP)
in three Municipal Corporations of Hubli-Dharwad, Belgaum, and Gulbarga in A number of national and state programmes have been
northern Karnataka, with a total population of around 2 million people have shown launched in India to increase ‘access’ to water supply
that a well-operated water supply system can deliver water supply 24 hours a day, services (WSS) ‘infrastructure’, including the centrally
seven days a week, in Indian cities, bringing an affordable, reliable service to urban supported Accelerated Urban WSS Program and JnNURM,
households. This pilot study has also given interesting insights to the question:“To the UIDSSMT, and the Service Level Benchmarks (SLBs).
what extent is it possible for 24x7 water supply to be scaled up to the majority of These programmes are still work-in-progress with
Indian cities and towns?” initiatives yet to be taken up by the states for improving
reliability, sustainability, and affordability of service delivery.
This project has also proved that it does not require additional water resources The urban infrastructure investment requirement for the
to keep the pipes full, and that households, even poor households, are willing to pay period 2012-31 for water supply projects is `320908
a fair tariff for a consistently acceptable service. This has been achieved with a 10 Crores.25
percent reduction in overall water consumed, whilst increasing the revenue billed
by a factor of five, and increasing the revenue collected by a factor of almost seven. While these programmes have helped in increasing
access to improved water sources for more than 90 per
An intense social interaction and communications campaign provided cent of the urban population, and increasing access to basic
continuous information as well as established an enabling environment by sanitation for more than 60 per cent of the population, the
addressing stakeholders concerns relating to metering, volumetric tariffs, and sector now has to address the twin challenges of universal
clarifying the role of a private operator. coverage and improved quality, reliability and sustainability
of services. Not only piped water coverage has to increase,
An additional element of the KUWASIP project relates to sector reform but also specific programmes are required to address the
and the establishment of a State Urban Water Council with responsibility for sector challenges for improving services from 3–4 hours of
performance monitoring and economic regulation of prices. In response to the water supply to 24×7 sustainable and safe water supply,
success of the demonstration projects, Government of Karnataka has committed reducing non-revenue water (NRW) estimated between
`735 crore (US$163 million) to achieve full 24x7supply for the three cities in the 40–70 per cent on account of leakages, unauthorized
demonstration project. connections, billing and collection inefficiencies, as well
as addressing issues related to inadequate operations and
This project has also shown that in the context of long-term capital maintenance. A case study of Karnataka Urban Water
investment, it is affordable. Based on the savings in operational expenditure, Sector Improvement Project is depicted in Box 3.26
increase in revenues, and improved health benefits, the payback period on the
capital maintenance investments is just two and-a-half years. So 24x7 water is The main challenge is to motivate states to move away
possible but it requires commitment at all levels and over the long term. An indirect from the typical ‘infrastructure targeted programmes’, to
economic value gained by the consumers is the increase in the property value ‘developing and implementing programmes’ dedicated for
ranging between 40–60 percent for the properties located in the demonstration improving water and sanitation services. Simply focusing
zones when compared to the value in the adjacent localities. on increasing ‘access’ and creating infrastructure, without
addressing management of service may not lead to
municipal authorities. Thus, merely 19% of the total waste sustainable services.
generated is currently treated. The remaining waste is
disposed at dump sites / landfill sites untreated. The JnNURM which subsumed AUWSP has been
focusing upon basic services. UIDSSMT which was a reform
The High Powered Expert Committee (HPEC) for linked programme for small and medium towns gave a
Estimating the Investment Requirements for Urban lot of emphasis on water supply and sanitation projects.
Infrastructure Services, 2011 noted that although the However, there have been several shortcomings in the
generation of solid waste is at much lower rates than that JnNURM which also affected water supply projects.
in most countries, the management and disposal of solid
waste generated in Indian cities leave a great deal to be As popular expectations increase across India over the
desired. The distribution of the expenditure is heavily coming years, the water sector will be hit by two forces,
loaded in favour of collection and transportation, and both of which will make the current situation untenable;
little attention is paid to processing and scientific disposal a) Demand for improved WSS service quality – which will
of the waste. The committee estimated `48,000 crore of
investment for solid waste management over a period of need investments in new institutions, human capacity,
twenty years (2012-2031). and assets, and
25 High Powered Expert Committee (HPEC) Report on Indian Urban Infrastructure and Services, 2011.
26 Field Note: 24 X 7 Water Supply is Achievable, Water and Sanitation Programme, The World Bank, 2010
8 FEBRUARY 2016
BOX 3: 24X7 WATER SUPPLY IN KARNATAKA Gap Analysis of Urban Water Supply Policies and
Programmes
Pilot projects by Karnataka Urban Water Sector Improvement Project (KUWASIP)
in three Municipal Corporations of Hubli-Dharwad, Belgaum, and Gulbarga in A number of national and state programmes have been
northern Karnataka, with a total population of around 2 million people have shown launched in India to increase ‘access’ to water supply
that a well-operated water supply system can deliver water supply 24 hours a day, services (WSS) ‘infrastructure’, including the centrally
seven days a week, in Indian cities, bringing an affordable, reliable service to urban supported Accelerated Urban WSS Program and JnNURM,
households. This pilot study has also given interesting insights to the question:“To the UIDSSMT, and the Service Level Benchmarks (SLBs).
what extent is it possible for 24x7 water supply to be scaled up to the majority of These programmes are still work-in-progress with
Indian cities and towns?” initiatives yet to be taken up by the states for improving
reliability, sustainability, and affordability of service delivery.
This project has also proved that it does not require additional water resources The urban infrastructure investment requirement for the
to keep the pipes full, and that households, even poor households, are willing to pay period 2012-31 for water supply projects is `320908
a fair tariff for a consistently acceptable service. This has been achieved with a 10 Crores.25
percent reduction in overall water consumed, whilst increasing the revenue billed
by a factor of five, and increasing the revenue collected by a factor of almost seven. While these programmes have helped in increasing
access to improved water sources for more than 90 per
An intense social interaction and communications campaign provided cent of the urban population, and increasing access to basic
continuous information as well as established an enabling environment by sanitation for more than 60 per cent of the population, the
addressing stakeholders concerns relating to metering, volumetric tariffs, and sector now has to address the twin challenges of universal
clarifying the role of a private operator. coverage and improved quality, reliability and sustainability
of services. Not only piped water coverage has to increase,
An additional element of the KUWASIP project relates to sector reform but also specific programmes are required to address the
and the establishment of a State Urban Water Council with responsibility for sector challenges for improving services from 3–4 hours of
performance monitoring and economic regulation of prices. In response to the water supply to 24×7 sustainable and safe water supply,
success of the demonstration projects, Government of Karnataka has committed reducing non-revenue water (NRW) estimated between
`735 crore (US$163 million) to achieve full 24x7supply for the three cities in the 40–70 per cent on account of leakages, unauthorized
demonstration project. connections, billing and collection inefficiencies, as well
as addressing issues related to inadequate operations and
This project has also shown that in the context of long-term capital maintenance. A case study of Karnataka Urban Water
investment, it is affordable. Based on the savings in operational expenditure, Sector Improvement Project is depicted in Box 3.26
increase in revenues, and improved health benefits, the payback period on the
capital maintenance investments is just two and-a-half years. So 24x7 water is The main challenge is to motivate states to move away
possible but it requires commitment at all levels and over the long term. An indirect from the typical ‘infrastructure targeted programmes’, to
economic value gained by the consumers is the increase in the property value ‘developing and implementing programmes’ dedicated for
ranging between 40–60 percent for the properties located in the demonstration improving water and sanitation services. Simply focusing
zones when compared to the value in the adjacent localities. on increasing ‘access’ and creating infrastructure, without
addressing management of service may not lead to
municipal authorities. Thus, merely 19% of the total waste sustainable services.
generated is currently treated. The remaining waste is
disposed at dump sites / landfill sites untreated. The JnNURM which subsumed AUWSP has been
focusing upon basic services. UIDSSMT which was a reform
The High Powered Expert Committee (HPEC) for linked programme for small and medium towns gave a
Estimating the Investment Requirements for Urban lot of emphasis on water supply and sanitation projects.
Infrastructure Services, 2011 noted that although the However, there have been several shortcomings in the
generation of solid waste is at much lower rates than that JnNURM which also affected water supply projects.
in most countries, the management and disposal of solid
waste generated in Indian cities leave a great deal to be As popular expectations increase across India over the
desired. The distribution of the expenditure is heavily coming years, the water sector will be hit by two forces,
loaded in favour of collection and transportation, and both of which will make the current situation untenable;
little attention is paid to processing and scientific disposal a) Demand for improved WSS service quality – which will
of the waste. The committee estimated `48,000 crore of
investment for solid waste management over a period of need investments in new institutions, human capacity,
twenty years (2012-2031). and assets, and
25 High Powered Expert Committee (HPEC) Report on Indian Urban Infrastructure and Services, 2011.
26 Field Note: 24 X 7 Water Supply is Achievable, Water and Sanitation Programme, The World Bank, 2010
8 FEBRUARY 2016
