Mangaluru: Dakshina Kannada district has drawn up an action plan worth Rs 49.4 crore to strengthen its rural drinking water network and introduce volumetric metering and billing across all gram panchayats. The plan has been approved under the Emergency Action Plan (EAP) for 2026–27, Dakshina Kannada ZP CEO Narwade Vinayak Karbhari said.Of the total allocation, Rs 23.1 crore will be used to install water meters for 61,610 households. Another Rs 17.9 crore has been earmarked for installing bulk water meters at 2,559 reservoirs. The plan also provides Rs 2.4 crore to repair 14,456 water meters under the single village schemes (SVS) and Rs 2.1 crore for three water-quality testing laboratories. In addition, approximately Rs 2.6 crore will be spent on rejuvenating 86 overhead tanks, while Rs 84 lakh has been allocated to develop 28 villages as round-the-clock water-supply villages. Another Rs 17 lakh has been earmarked for social audits and information, education and communication activities.First-of-its-kind initiativeKarbhari said the project aims to make Dakshina Kannada the first district in Karnataka to provide volumetric water meters to every household. The next objective is to introduce consumption-based billing across the district. “The aim is to implement a 100% volumetric water-billing system and make Dakshina Kannada a pioneer, not only in Karnataka but also in the country,” he said.The initiative was not limited to billing consumers according to the quantity of water used. It would also create awareness about responsible consumption, encourage conservation and facilitate the scientific management of available water resources.System to help detect leaksOnce the meters are installed, authorities will have accurate data on the amount of water consumed by each household. This will improve water accounting and help detect leakages, wastage and excessive consumption, he said .The system will also provide the foundation for managing and expanding 24×7 drinking-water supply in rural areas. Karbhari said drinking-water infrastructure created under the Jal Jeevan Mission was being strengthened in phases through the EAP.BoxDK Water plan: Key numbersHousehold water metersCoverage: 61,610 tap connectionsAllocation: Rs 23.1 croreBulk water metersCoverage: 2,559 reservoirsAllocation: Rs 17.9 croreRepair of meters under SVS modernisationCoverage: 14,456 metersAllocation: Rs 2.45 croreWater-quality testing laboratoriesCoverage: 3 laboratoriesAllocation: Rs 2.16 croreRejuvenation of overhead tanksCoverage: 86 tanksAllocation: Rs 2.58 croreDevelopment of 24×7 water-supply villagesCoverage: 28 villagesAllocation: Rs 84 lakhSocial audit and IEC activitiesCoverage: District-wideAllocation: Rs 17 lakhWhat volumetric metering could achieve* Bills based on actual household consumption* Accurate accounting of water supplied and consumed* Faster detection of leaks and distribution losses* Control of avoidable or excessive consumption* Greater awareness of water conservation* Better planning for 24×7 rural drinking-water supply
