To make provision of potable tap water supply in adequate quantity, of prescribed quality and on regular & long-term basis to every rural household by 2024, since August, 2019, Government of India in partnership with States, is implementing Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) – Har Ghar Jal. Under JJM, while allocating the funds to States/ UTs, 10% weightage is given to the population residing in habitations affected by chemical contaminants. While taking up schemes to make provision of potable tap water supply to rural households, priority is given to quality-affected habitations.

Under Jal Jeevan Mission, as per existing guidelines, IS 10500 is to be adopted for ensuring safe drinking water supply and States/ UTs have been advised to carry out testing of drinking water sources once in year for chemical and physical parameters and twice in a year for bacteriological parameters.

To enable States/ UTs to test water samples for water quality, and for sample collection, reporting, monitoring and surveillance of drinking water sources, an online JJM – Water Quality Management Information System (WQMIS) portal has been developed, which is available in public domain on JJM Dashboard and can also be accessed at:

https://neer.icmr.org.in/website/main.php

This portal also provides automated alerts to concerned authorities in States/ UTs, if the water sample tested is contaminated, to initiate remedial actions. On this portal an individual can also register his sample and choose nearby water quality testing laboratory to get the water sample tested. Thus, testing of water samples and reporting in rural areas, has been made accessible and easy.

States/ UTs have been advised to identify and train 5 persons preferably women in each village from local community viz. ASHA workers, health workers, VWSC members, teachers, etc. to conduct water quality tests using FTKs/ bacteriological vials at village level and report the same on the portal.

Year-wise details of States/ UTs, which have made provision for tap water supply to all rural households, is as follows:

The number of deaths due to contaminated drinking water is not maintained by the Department. Under JJM no direct assistance is provided to any individual.

This Information was given by the Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Shri Prahlad Singh Patel in a written  reply in Lok Sabha today.

*****

BY/AS