Lok Sabha Question No. 1071 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-12-21
Subject: Contaminated Drinking Water
Ministry: DRINKING WATER AND SANITATION
Asked by: HARI MANJHI, RAJIV PRATAP RUDY, BHAVANA GAWALI (PATIL), SIRAJUDDIN AJMAL, DINESH TRIVEDI, RAGHAV LAKHANPAL, RAJESH PANDEY

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF DRINKING WATER & SANITATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1071 TO BE ANSWERED ON 21.12.2017

## Contaminated Drinking Water

†1071. SHRI HARI MANJHI, SHRI RAJIV PRATAP RUDY, SHRIMATI BHAVANA PUNDALIKRAO GAWALI PATIL, SHRI SIRAJUDDIN AJMAL, SHRI DINESH TRIVEDI, SHRI RAGHAV LAKHANPAL, SHRI RAJESH PANDEY:

Will the Minister of DRINKING WATER AND SANITATION be pleased to state?

- (a)  the  details  and  number  of  the  habitations,  districts  and  States  in  the  country including  Bihar  and  West  Bengal  affected  by  excessive  arsenic,  fluoride  and  other chemicals in drinking water indicating the reasons therefor along with the steps taken by the Government to remove these chemicals in drinking water to check such health hazards and the outcome thereof, State/UT-wise;
- (b)    the  details  of  the  per  capita  availability  of  safe  drinking  water  along  with  the number of households having proper drainage facility and tap water facility, State-wise;
- (c)  the manner in which the National Water Sub Quality Mission improves the provision of safe drinking water where the arsenic content is high along with the measures taken by the Government to ensure access to safe drinking water in rural areas;
- (d) whether some cases of adverse effects on health due to presence of such chemicals in drinking water have also been reported in the country and if so, the details thereof, State-wise; and
- (e) whether the Union Government is providing any special assistance to these States in this regard and if so, the details thereof and the targets set for these States/ UTs in this regard?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF STATEFOR MINISTRY OF DRINKING WATER & SANITATION (SHRI S.S. AHLUWALIA)

(a) to (e) : Rural drinking water supply is a state subject.  For improving the coverage of safe  drinking  water  to  rural  population,  this  Ministry  supplements  the  efforts  of  the states by providing them with technical and financial assistance through the centrally sponsored  National  Rural  Drinking  Water  Programme  (NRDWP).  It  is  the  State Government who plan, design, approve, execute and operate & maintain the schemes for providing safe drinking water to rural population. The funds provided to the States under NRDWP can be utilized for coverage and tackling water quality problems with priority  to  arsenic  and  fluoride  affected  habitations.The  existence  of  arsenic,  fluoride, iron, nitrate, salinity and heavy metal in ground water based drinking water sources is geo-genic in nature.State / UT-wise number of fluoride, arsenic, iron, nitrate, salinity & heavy metals affected habitations including Bihar and West Bengal States, as reported by the States into Integrated Management Information System (IMIS) of the Ministry as on 19 th  December, 2017 is at Annexure-I.

The  Ministry  has  informed  all  the  States  to  commission  surface  water  based piped  water  supply  schemes  in  all  water  quality  affected  habitations  as  a  long  term sustainable  solution.  However,  since  commissioning  of  Piped  Water  Supply  projects may  take  3-5  years  and  the  rural  people  cannot  be  put  to  risk  of  consuming contaminated  water  during  this  period, all States have  been  advised  to  install community  water  purification  plants.  This  is  being  done  as  a  short  term  immediate measure for providing 8-10 lpcd (litre per capita per day) of safe water for drinking and cooking purpose only. On recommendation of NITI Aayog, the Government of India had released Rs 800 crore in March 2016 to provide community water purification plants in the remaining arsenic and fluoride affected habitations. In addition, funds to the tune of Rs.100 Crore each are also provided for tackling arsenic and fluoride problems in West Bengal  and  Rajasthan  respectively  for  the  last  mile  connectivity  in  commissioning surface water based piped water supply schemes.

Under  National  Rural  Drinking  Water  Programme  (NRDWP)  guidelines,  the per capita norm for drinking water in rural areas is at least 40 litres per capita per day (lpcd).  As  per  information  provided  by  States  /  UTs  on  Integrated  Management Information System (IMIS) of Ministry, as on 19 th December,2017, out of total rural habitations in the country, 77.41 % habitations were fully covered with the availability of 40 litres per capita per day (lpcd), 18.37% habitations were Partially covered with the  availability  of  water  less  than  40  litres  per  capita  per  day  (lpcd)  and  4.21% habitations  were  Quality  affected,  which  are  yet  to  be  addressed.  State  /  UT-wise number of habitations in the category of fully covered, partially covered and quality affected, as reported by the states into IMIS of the Ministry as on 19 th December,2017 is at Annexure-II.

State/UT  wise  percentage of household  connections  with  piped water  supply (PWS), as reported by the states into IMIS of the Ministry as on 18 th December,2017 is at Annexure-III .

The State-wise combined details of per capita availability of safe drinking water along  with  the  number  of  households  having  proper  drainage  facility  and  tap  water facility  is  not  maintained  by  this  Ministry.  Prolonged  consumption  of  fluoride  in drinking  water  may  lead  to  dental,  skeletal  and  non-skeletal  fluorosis.    Disease surveillance including fluorosis mitigation is in the mandate of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare through National Programme for Prevention and Control of Fluorosis (NPPCF).

Further,  the  Ministry  of  Drinking  Water  and  Sanitation  had  launched  the National  Water  Quality  Sub-Mission  (NWQSM) on 22 nd   March  2017  under  NRDWP to provide safe drinking water to about 28,000 arsenic / fluoride affected habitations over a  span  of  4  years,  subject  to  availability  of  funds.  So  far  under  NWQSM  Rs.  1814.13 Crore  have  been  released  to  15  states,  including  Bihar  and  West  Bengal  and  1,250 arsenic / fluoride affected habitations have been provided safe drinking water.

******

## Annexure-I referred in the reply to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1071 due for reply on 21/12/2017

State / UT-wise number of fluoride, arsenic, iron, nitrate, salinity & heavy metals affected habitations including Bihar and West Bengal States, as reported by the States into Integrated Management Information System (IMIS) of the Ministry as on 19 th  December, 2017

| S. No.   | Name of the State / Uts   | Contamination WiseNumber Of Habitations   | Contamination WiseNumber Of Habitations   | Contamination WiseNumber Of Habitations   | Contamination WiseNumber Of Habitations   | Contamination WiseNumber Of Habitations   | Contamination WiseNumber Of Habitations   | Contamination WiseNumber Of Habitations   |
|----------|---------------------------|-------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------|
| S. No.   | Name of the State / Uts   | Fluoride                                  | Arseni c                                  | Iron                                      | Salinit y                                 | Nitrate                                   | Heavy Metal                               | Total                                     |
| 1        | ANDAMAN and NICOBAR       | 0                                         | 0                                         | 0                                         | 0                                         | 0                                         | 0                                         | 0                                         |
| 2        | ANDHRAPRADESH             | 349                                       | 0                                         | 1                                         | 62                                        | 6                                         | 0                                         | 418                                       |
| 3        | ARUNACHAL PRADESH         | 0                                         | 0                                         | 31                                        | 0                                         | 0                                         | 0                                         | 31                                        |
| 4        | ASSAM                     | 285                                       | 4518                                      | 6214                                      | 0                                         | 0                                         | 7                                         | 11024                                     |
| 5        | BIHAR                     | 898                                       | 871                                       | 2462                                      | 0                                         | 0                                         | 0                                         | 4231                                      |
| 6        | CHATTISGARH               | 405                                       | 19                                        | 734                                       | 2                                         | 10                                        | 0                                         | 1170                                      |
| 7        | GOA                       | 0                                         | 0                                         | 0                                         | 0                                         | 0                                         | 0                                         | 0                                         |
| 8        | GUJARAT                   | 0                                         | 0                                         | 0                                         | 0                                         | 0                                         | 0                                         | 0                                         |
| 9        | HARYANA                   | 119                                       | 0                                         | 0                                         | 9                                         | 0                                         | 0                                         | 128                                       |
| 10       | HIMACHAL PRADESH          | 0                                         | 0                                         | 0                                         | 0                                         | 0                                         | 0                                         | 0                                         |
| 11       | JAMMU ANDKASHMIR          | 4                                         | 0                                         | 12                                        | 0                                         | 0                                         | 0                                         | 16                                        |
| 12       | JHARKHAND                 | 552                                       | 102                                       | 2235                                      | 0                                         | 4                                         | 0                                         | 2896                                      |
| 13       | KARNATAKA                 | 600                                       | 4                                         | 78                                        | 40                                        | 327                                       | 1                                         | 1050                                      |
| 14       | KERALA                    | 34                                        | 0                                         | 199                                       | 98                                        | 32                                        | 0                                         | 363                                       |
| 15       | MADHYAPRADESH             | 171                                       | 0                                         | 5                                         | 11                                        | 0                                         | 0                                         | 187                                       |
| 16       | MAHARASHTRA               | 81                                        | 0                                         | 17                                        | 94                                        | 91                                        | 0                                         | 283                                       |
| 17       | MANIPUR                   | 0                                         | 0                                         | 0                                         | 0                                         | 0                                         | 0                                         | 0                                         |
| 18       | MEGHALAYA                 | 0                                         | 0                                         | 32                                        | 0                                         | 0                                         | 0                                         | 32                                        |
| 19       | MIZORAM                   | 0                                         | 0                                         | 0                                         | 0                                         | 0                                         | 0                                         | 0                                         |
| 20       | NAGALAND                  | 0                                         | 0                                         | 30                                        | 0                                         | 0                                         | 0                                         | 30                                        |
| 21       | ODISHA                    | 105                                       | 0                                         | 2566                                      | 380                                       | 0                                         | 0                                         | 3051                                      |
| 22       | PUDUCHERRY                | 0                                         | 0                                         | 0                                         | 0                                         | 0                                         | 0                                         | 0                                         |
| 23       | PUNJAB                    | 306                                       | 728                                       | 277                                       | 15                                        | 148                                       | 2171                                      | 3645                                      |
| 24       | RAJASTHAN                 | 6159                                      | 0                                         | 5                                         | 12655                                     | 1074                                      | 0                                         | 19893                                     |
| 25       | SIKKIM                    | 0                                         | 0                                         | 0                                         | 0                                         | 0                                         | 0                                         | 0                                         |
| 26       | TAMIL NADU                | 0                                         | 0                                         | 176                                       | 22                                        | 0                                         | 0                                         | 198                                       |
| 27       | TELANGANA                 | 987                                       | 0                                         | 36                                        | 182                                       | 145                                       | 0                                         | 1350                                      |
| 28       | TRIPURA                   | 0                                         | 0                                         | 2544                                      | 0                                         | 0                                         | 0                                         | 2544                                      |
| 29       | UTTAR PRADESH             | 179                                       | 748                                       | 362                                       | 80                                        | 10                                        | 0                                         | 1379                                      |
| 30       | UTTARAKHAND               | 0                                         | 0                                         | 13                                        | 0                                         | 3                                         | 0                                         | 16                                        |
| 31       | WEST BENGAL               | 1336                                      | 10928                                     | 5792                                      | 483                                       | 0                                         | 273                                       | 18812                                     |
| Total    | Total                     | 12570                                     | 17918                                     | 23821                                     | 14133                                     | 1850                                      | 2452                                      | 72747                                     |

## Annexure-II referred in the reply to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1071 due for reply on 21/12/2017

State / UT-wise number of habitations are in the category of fully covered, partially covered and quality affected habitations, as reported by the states into IMIS of the Ministry as on 19 th  December,2017

|            |                        | No of Habitations   | No of Habitations   | No of Habitations   | No of Habitations   |
|------------|------------------------|---------------------|---------------------|---------------------|---------------------|
| S. No.     | Nameof the State / Uts | Total               | Fully Covered       | Partially Covered   | Quality Affected    |
| 1          | ANDAMAN and NICOBAR    | 400                 | 324                 | 76                  | 0                   |
| 2          | ANDHRA PRADESH         | 48363               | 33258               | 14687               | 418                 |
| 3          | ARUNACHAL PRADESH      | 7582                | 2918                | 4633                | 31                  |
| 4          | ASSAM                  | 88099               | 52826               | 24249               | 11024               |
| 5          | BIHAR                  | 110234              | 67376               | 38627               | 4231                |
| 6          | CHATTISGARH            | 74685               | 70488               | 3027                | 1170                |
| 7          | GOA                    | 347                 | 345                 | 2                   | 0                   |
| 8          | GUJARAT                | 36066               | 36063               | 3                   | 0                   |
| 9          | HARYANA                | 7948                | 7597                | 223                 | 128                 |
| 10         | HIMACHAL PRADESH       | 53604               | 42808               | 10796               | 0                   |
| 11         | JAMMU ANDKASHMIR       | 15958               | 8995                | 6947                | 16                  |
| 12         | JHARKHAND              | 120764              | 116970              | 898                 | 2896                |
| 13         | KARNATAKA              | 60248               | 24264               | 34934               | 1050                |
| 14         | KERALA                 | 21551               | 4909                | 16279               | 363                 |
| 15         | MADHYA PRADESH         | 128061              | 127793              | 81                  | 187                 |
| 16         | MAHARASHTRA            | 99732               | 87075               | 12374               | 283                 |
| 17         | MANIPUR                | 3788                | 2227                | 1561                | 0                   |
| 18         | MEGHALAYA              | 10475               | 1758                | 8685                | 32                  |
| 19         | MIZORAM                | 738                 | 468                 | 270                 | 0                   |
| 20         | NAGALAND               | 1452                | 680                 | 742                 | 30                  |
| 21         | ODISHA                 | 157773              | 138916              | 15806               | 3051                |
| 22         | PUDUCHERRY             | 266                 | 153                 | 113                 | 0                   |
| 23         | PUNJAB                 | 15384               | 9975                | 1764                | 3645                |
| 24         | RAJASTHAN              | 121648              | 55873               | 45882               | 19893               |
| 25         | SIKKIM                 | 2084                | 750                 | 1334                | 0                   |
| 26         | TAMIL NADU             | 100204              | 93468               | 6538                | 198                 |
| 27         | TELANGANA              | 24562               | 13709               | 9503                | 1350                |
| 28         | TRIPURA                | 8723                | 4576                | 1603                | 2544                |
| 29         | UTTAR PRADESH          | 260027              | 256303              | 2345                | 1379                |
| 30         | UTTARAKHAND            | 39360               | 22229               | 17115               | 16                  |
| 31         | WEST BENGAL            | 105905              | 51084               | 36009               | 18812               |
| Total      | Total                  | 1726031             | 1336178             | 317106              | 72747               |
| Percentage | Percentage             | Percentage          | 77.41               | 18.37               | 4.21                |

Annexure-III referred in the reply to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1071 due for reply on 21/12/2017

State/UT wise percentage of household connections with piped water supply (PWS), as reported by the states into IMIS of the Ministry as on 18 th December,2017

| S. No.   | Nameof the State    |   %oftotal household connections with PWS |
|----------|---------------------|-------------------------------------------|
| 1        | ANDAMAN and NICOBAR |                                     10.15 |
| 2        | ANDHRAPRADESH       |                                     28.59 |
| 3        | ARUNACHAL PRADESH   |                                      6.4  |
| 4        | ASSAM               |                                      2.05 |
| 5        | BIHAR               |                                      1.22 |
| 6        | CHATTISGARH         |                                      7.84 |
| 7        | GOA                 |                                      0    |
| 8        | GUJARAT             |                                     72.82 |
| 9        | HARYANA             |                                     47.68 |
| 10       | HIMACHAL PRADESH    |                                     56.62 |
| 11       | JAMMU ANDKASHMIR    |                                     28.57 |
| 12       | JHARKHAND           |                                      4.27 |
| 13       | KARNATAKA           |                                     41.33 |
| 14       | KERALA              |                                     15    |
| 15       | MADHYAPRADESH       |                                     10.34 |
| 16       | MAHARASHTRA         |                                     36.74 |
| 17       | MANIPUR             |                                      4.9  |
| 18       | MEGHALAYA           |                                      1.15 |
| 19       | MIZORAM             |                                     13.47 |
| 20       | NAGALAND            |                                      4.96 |
| 21       | ODISHA              |                                      3.71 |
| 22       | PUDUCHERRY          |                                     50.35 |
| 23       | PUNJAB              |                                     47.52 |
| 24       | RAJASTHAN           |                                     12.2  |
| 25       | SIKKIM              |                                     99.32 |
| 26       | TAMILNADU           |                                     28.92 |
| 27       | TELANGANA           |                                     32.76 |
| 28       | TRIPURA             |                                      2.45 |
| 29       | UTTAR PRADESH       |                                      0.53 |
| 30       | UTTARAKHAND         |                                     13.9  |
| 31       | WEST BENGAL         |                                      0.67 |
| Total    | Total               |                                     16.85 |