Water” being a state subject planning, approval and implementation of drinking water supply schemes, lies with state/UT governments. Government of India is implementing Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) – Har Ghar Jal, since August, 2019, in partnership with States, 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.

As reported by States/ UTs, out of the 16.97 lakh rural habitations in the country, the number of water quality affected habitations in the country, affected with contamination of Arsenic, Fluoride, Iron, Salinity, Nitrate & Heavy Metals in drinking water sources, is only 25,716(1.51%). State-wise details of number of habitations is annexed.

Under the JJM, Bureau of Indian Standards’BIS:10500 standards have been adopted as prescribed norms for quality of tap water service delivery. Water safety has been one of the key priorities under the JJM since its inception. States are advised to strictly ensure supply of safe drinking water as per these norms.Following measures have been taken under JJM to facilitate action on water quality aspects at state level –

• While allocating the funds to States/ UTs, 10% weightage is given to the population residing in habitations affected by chemical contaminants.
• The “Drinking Water Quality Monitoring & Surveillance Framework” was devised and disseminated to states in October 2021.
• To facilitate implementation of the above said Framework, more than 2000 water quality testing laboratories have been set up in the country. Besides this, five persons, preferably women are identified and trained from every village for testing the water samples through Field Test Kits (FTKs) and so far, 15.31 lakh women have been trained.
• 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.
• Under JJM, while planning for potable water supply to household through tap water connection, priority is given to quality-affected habitations. Since, planning, implementation and commissioning of piped water supply scheme based on a safe water source takes time, purely as an interim measure, States/ UTs have been advised to install community water purification plants (CWPPs) especially in Arsenic and Fluoride affected habitations to provide potable water to every household at the rate of 8–10 litre per capita per day (lpcd) to meet their drinking and cookingrequirements.

States/UTs have been directed to undertake testing of water quality on a periodic basis and take remedial action wherever necessary, to ensure that the water supplied to households is of prescribed quality standards (BIS:10500). As a result of the above-mentioned efforts, as reported by States/UTs, as on 08/12/22, more than 24.01 lakh water samples have been tested in the water testing laboratories and 52.66 lakh water samples through the Field Testing Kits, in 2022-23 alone. The State–wise details of water quality test reported through WQMIS is available in public domain on JJM Dashboard and can also be accessed at:

https://ejalshakti.gov.in/WQMIS/

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

 

Annexure

State-wisenumberofhabitationsaffectedwithcontaminationindrinkingwatersources

(As on 07.12.2022)

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AS

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