Water crisis news:

India: 80% urban population hit by water scarcity: Gujarat government tells Sharad Pawar.

TNN | Aug 3, 2012, 11.20PM IST /GANDHINAGAR: Gujarat government has told Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar that out of a total urban population of 2.57 crores of the state, “nearly 2 crore people, that is 80 per cent of the urban population, are likely to be adversely affected from the drinking water perspective.”

Making a presentation before Pawar and his team, state officials said of this, 1.60 crore population belong to the eight municipal corporations, while the rest, around 40 lakh, to 69 municipalities. The issue that need to be immediately addressed related to drilling of new tubewells, installing more hand pumps, laying down connecting pipelines and supply of water through tankers. Asking for Rs 287 crore for the municipal corporations and Rs 69 crore for municipalities for “short-term measures,” state government also wanted the Central team to make major relaxations to meet cost over-run in water-related projects taken up under Urban Infrastructure Development Scheme for Small and Medium Towns (UIDSSMT) under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JnNURM).

In the long run, the requirement would be to the tune of Rs 1,802 crore, the presentation said, adding, the amount is needed mainly for “strengthening of sources of drinking water, laying of additional pipelines, installation of pumping machinery and augmentation of treatment capacity.”

Pawar, it is learnt, told the government that his team is mandated to look into the requirements of the rural population alone, and not the urban population. “Urban areas should be taken care of the government,” he was quoted as telling the state team led by chief minister Narendra Modi.

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