Karnataka to Geo-Tag 3 Lakh Rural Water Assets to Strengthen Monitoring and Accountability

The Karnataka government has launched a new GIS-based mobile and web application to digitally map and monitor rural drinking-water infrastructure across the state. The initiative aims to improve transparency, strengthen verification of public infrastructure and make it harder for fraudulent or duplicate works to be recorded in government systems.

Developed by the Rural Drinking Water and Sanitation Department in collaboration with the Karnataka State Remote Sensing Applications Centre (KSRSAC), the system will geo-tag more than 3 lakh rural water assets. The government has set a target of completing the digitisation process by the end of September 2026. More than 70,000 assets had already been documented during the first phase.

The digital database will cover a wide range of infrastructure, including borewells, overhead water tanks, open wells, hand pumps, pump houses, water treatment plants, reservoirs, lakes, ponds and pipeline-related assets. Each asset will be linked to its geographical location, while information on its physical condition, operation and maintenance status will also be recorded.

Three-Level Verification System

The new system will use a three-stage verification mechanism. Engineers will first conduct physical inspections of the assets. Assistant executive engineers will then carry out random checks covering 5% of the assets, followed by additional random inspections of 2% by executive engineers at the taluk level.

The application can reportedly capture locations with an accuracy of up to five metres, allowing officials to compare digital records with infrastructure on the ground.

Borewell projects will receive additional digital documentation. Information such as drilling depth, pipe depth and motor horsepower will be recorded, helping officials identify discrepancies between reported work and the infrastructure actually constructed.

Focus on Defunct Borewells

The initiative also includes efforts to reduce expenditure on non-functional infrastructure. Officials have been directed to remove pump sets and electricity connections from defunct borewells where appropriate, while technically suitable borewells are being considered for revival.

According to the state government, around 7,700 borewells have already been recharged, with further assessment underway to identify infrastructure that can potentially be restored.

By bringing rural drinking-water infrastructure into a location-based digital system, Karnataka is seeking to improve asset tracking, facilitate inspections and provide a more reliable record of the water infrastructure available to rural communities.

The initiative is also aligned with Karnataka’s broader use of geospatial technology for managing rural water infrastructure. The state’s Rural Drinking Water and Sanitation Department already incorporates geo-tagged asset information into its water-supply management documentation.

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