CH NEWS, CHITRADURGA
Chitradurga Zilla Panchayat will formally launch Neer Lab on Independence Day to strengthen data-based planning and improve rural drinking water services.
District In-charge Minister Raghu Murthy will inaugurate the facility. Officials said its Programme Management Unit (PMU) functions have already been operating for nearly a year.
The initiative brings officers, engineers and technical staff together to monitor water programmes, identify problems and speed up implementation. During 2025-26, Jal Jeevan Mission work connected 369 households with functional tap connections, compared with an average of 120.8 works annually during the previous five years. Major Multi-Village Schemes also covered 218,347 people, about 53% more than the earlier nine-year annual average.
Neer Lab has focused on collecting evidence before planning new interventions. A survey covering 1,559 villages and habitations across 189 Gram Panchayats in six taluks measured actual drinking water supply. It found 550 locations receiving less than the prescribed 55 litres per person daily. Of these, 40 received below 25 litres, while 510 received between 26 and 55 litres.
Officials said the findings will help identify villages needing source augmentation and better investment. The district has also assessed solid-waste generation and mapped groundwater sources for risks involving TDS, fluoride and nitrate. The information is expected to support targeted action and improve water security.
Neer Lab will operate as a zero-cost PMU using the existing government system, rather than creating a separate administrative structure. Officials said the model aims to turn evidence into better priorities and faster implementation. The long-term goal is to make drinking-water shortages more predictable, preventable and manageable across Chitradurga.
At a Glance
- Neer Lab launches on Independence Day, August 15.
- It operates as a zero-cost water PMU.
- JJM delivery accelerated more than threefold.
- MVS coverage increased by approximately 53%.
- Water supply assessed across 1,559 villages.
- Evidence-based planning will target water shortages.
