Over 4,600 villages in Karnataka facing drinking water contamination issues
Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has identified serious drinking water contamination issues in thousands of villages across the state, with official data revealing that as many as 4,673 villages are facing problems related to unsafe and polluted water.
According to data provided by the Rural Development Department, water quality tests conducted in villages across all 31 districts of Karnataka found several samples to be contaminated beyond permissible limits. The government said more than seven lakh water samples have been tested over the last three years.
Officials stated that contaminated water samples were found to contain excessive levels of nitrate, salinity and other harmful elements in several habitation areas, raising concerns about public health and access to safe drinking water.
The department data shows that 2,51,763 water samples were tested during 2023-24, of which 24,917 samples were found contaminated. In 2024-25, around 2,72,166 samples were tested and 17,261 were reported unsafe. During 2025-26, nearly 2,23,734 samples were examined, with 12,127 samples found contaminated.
Among districts, Mandya reported the highest number of affected villages at 423, followed by Koppal and Tumakuru with 387 villages each. Vijayapura recorded 375 affected villages, while Chitradurga reported 324 villages with contamination concerns.
The government said steps are being taken to address the issue by supplying safe drinking water from nearby clean sources and by installing purified drinking water units in affected villages.
Officials stated that more than 18,000 villages across Karnataka have already been provided with purified drinking water units. Mandya alone has received 281 such units, while Koppal has 326, Tumakuru 300, Vijayapura 284 and Chitradurga 258 units.
The government also said long-term solutions are being implemented through multi-village drinking water projects in areas where surface water sources are available.
Authorities maintained that ensuring access to clean drinking water remains a major priority and additional infrastructure measures are being taken to permanently resolve contamination issues in rural areas.
