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 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 encourage water quality testing to ensure potable drinking water supply, States/ UTs have been advised to open water quality testing laboratories to general public at a nominal rate for testing of their water samples.

States/ UTs have been advised to identify and train 5 persons preferably women in each village 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

Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) generates ground water quality data on regional scale during various scientific studies and ground water monitoring programme throughout the country. Data on ground water quality has been shared with concerned State Governments for taking remedial measures, awareness and monitoring of drinking water use. The revised guidelines have been issued on 24.09.2020 for regulation of ground water withdrawal by industrial, infrastructure and mining projects. The guidelines have provisions for prevention of pollution/ contamination of groundwater.

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