Water Conservation, Management and Safe Drinking Water in the Villages of Karnataka State

Abstract

The importance of water is next to oxygen in living beings, particularly human beings. Human body consists of two-third of water and every day one must replace five percent of it. The present resear ch is planned to study the water resources, its quality and its management in the rural areas of Karnataka state. Five villages, namely Nigadi, Hebballi, Nayakana Hulikatti, Kavalageri and Uppinbetageri in Dharwad taluka were selected for the study. Twenty families from each village were ra ndomly selected thus making the total sample to 1 00 households. A structured interview schedule was used for data collection on sources of water, storage and consumption methods and safety measures used for potable water. Majority of respondents used tap water (91 per cent) as the principle source for domestic purposes, and it was available free of cost. Bore wells were the subsidiary source of water to majority of the respondents. More than 80 per cent of the respondents reported that the water management activity was very time demanding for domestic purposes. Highest percentage of respondents (80 per cent) opined that the bore well water used for domestic purposes was clear, but hard and it was undesirable for drinking. At community level, chlorination was done for drinking water sources as reported by 72 percent respondents. All the respondents were aware of water saving tips like the taps should be closed after using, surroundings of the water source should be kept clean and consume water after filtering or boiling.