Bengaluru Urban officials told to assess old borewell links before drilling

More than 1,000 borewells in Bengaluru Urban district have been defunct for years, and officials should examine whether their RR numbers can be transferred to new connections rather than routinely funding fresh drilling, Greater Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda said.

At the first-quarter Karnataka Development Programme review meeting for 2026-27, Gowda directed officials to use gram panchayat funds to address drinking-water shortages in the district’s rural areas. He asked them to focus on durable infrastructure rather than temporary measures and complete the borewell-connection exercise before the next review meeting.

Gowda said gram panchayats should set aside a share of their grants for drinking-water and waste-management works. “Every rupee spent must translate into a solution to a problem faced by people,” he said.

The minister also asked officials to take a scientific approach to rural waste management. They were directed to identify vacant gram panchayat land for parks, playgrounds and sports facilities, secure it with compound walls first, and develop the sites as funds become available.