MYSORE: The ancient site of Talakad in T. Narsipur taluk will be brought under the Swajaldhara Scheme to augment drinking water supply at an estimated cost of Rs. 2.7 crore.

Sources in the Mysore Zilla Panchayat told The Hindu that the project would be funded by the Centre and was likely to receive administrative approval from the State in a few days. Once implemented, the project would help 12,000 people living in the region affected by water scarcity.

Talakad is the only area selected for the Swajaldhara Scheme in the district. The scheme is being introduced in areas not covered by the Rajiv Gandhi National Drinking Water Mission (RGNDWM). Some of the provisions of the scheme are similar to the mission and the ownership of drinking water assets will be vested with local bodies.

Funding will be by the Union Government except the contribution of the community. Funds under the Swajaldhara scheme are being allocated to States according to the Inter-State Accelerated Rural Water Supply Programme allocation ration fixed for the year. The minimum share of the community will be 10 per cent of the total capital cost and the community's contribution could be in the form of cash, kind and labour.

Sources said that the Swajaldhara scheme was a process project designed to enable its beneficiary to have access to sustainable and affordable drinking water system and the reform process would not end with the completion of water supply schemes. The beneficiary community would have to shoulder the responsibility to operate and maintain the system. It provided for the community to arrange for periodic water quality check and take decisions to regulate the exploitation of groundwater sources, prevent its contamination, etc.

The sources said completion of the Swajaldhara scheme would be a boon to the water-starved Talakad and also benefit pilgrims and tourists.

Meanwhile, the number of villages that receive drinking water below the national minimum norm of 40 litres per capita daily (LPCD) has decreased from 890 in 2000 to 133 as on March 31, 2006. This has been attributed to various factors, including the implementation of the Rajiv Gandhi National Drinking Water Mission under which Rs. 40 crore has been spent to augment drinking water supply in rural areas of Mysore district.

The sources said 133 villages or habitations that continued to receive less than 40 LPCD would be covered under the Bharat Nirman Yojana. Of the 133 villages, there were 19 habitations that received between 21 litres and 30 litres per capita per day. These habitations that were water-starved were spread across the seven taluks of the district. While there were five such habitations in Mysore, Nanjangud had 15, K.R. Nagar 18, Hunsur 3, Periyapatna 25 and H.D. Kote 66.

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