The government of India would be investing INR 110 billion or USD 1.8 billion to improve the water supply in the villages. The investment would be made for the fiscal year ending March 2014. Compared to the government's investment in water infrastructure in the same period a year ago, this year's investment amount represented a 5% increase. In the fiscal year ending March 2013, INR 105 billion was allocated for the same project.
A statement from the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation revealed that the funds would be given to the provincial governments for the construction of water pipes and the modernization of the water networks. Five percent of that amount would be utilized in villages where chemical contamination had reached groundwater sources. The Ministry said 15% of the funds would be used for the operation and maintenance of the existing water networks.
According to a Bloomberg report, diseases caused by dirty water had killed 200,000 children under four years old each year in India.
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