Lok Sabha Question No. 6307 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-04-05
Subject: Arsenic in Groundwater
Ministry: DRINKING WATER AND SANITATION
Asked by: ASHWINI KUMAR, SANJAY JAISWAL, PREM DAS RAI

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF DRINKING WATER AND SANITATION LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.6307 TO BE ANSWERED ON 05.04.2018

## Arsenic in Groundwater

## 6307.     SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR: DR. SANJAY JAISWAL: SHRI PREM DAS RAI:

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

(a) the names of States where arsenic and other harmful substances are found in groundwater, used by habitants for drinking purposes; (b) the measures/projects taken to improve the poor quality of underground water for its use as drinking water in rural areas; and (c)

- the other steps being taken by her Ministry to ensure continued availability and access to clean drinking water in rural areas across the country including drought-hit States?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE FOR MINISTRY OF DRINKING   WATER AND SANITATION (SHRI S.S.AHLUWALIA)

(a) to (c) :State-wise number of arsenic, fluoride, iron, salinity, nitrate and heavy metal  affected  habitations  (more  than  prescribed  limit  found  in  drinking  water sources)  as  reported  by  the  states  into  Integrated  Management  Information  System (IMIS) of the Ministry as on 28 th  March, 2018 is at Annexure.

Rural  drinking  water  supply  is  a  State  subject.  However,  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 scheme 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 fluoride and arsenic affected habitations.

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.  To  deal  with  arsenic  and  fluoride  contamination,  with  the recommendation of NITI Aayog, Government of India had released Rs.1,000 crore in March 2016 for commissioning of Community Water Purification Plants (CWPPs) and surface water based piped water supply schemes.

In addition to this, 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, in a span of 4 years, subject to availability of funds.

## Annexure referred to in the reply to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 6307 due for reply on 05/04/2018

State-wise number of arsenic, fluoride, iron, salinity, nitrate and heavy metal affected habitations (more than prescribed limit found in drinking water sources) as reported by the states into Integrated Management Information System (IMIS) of the Ministry as on 28 th  March, 2018

| S. No.   | Nameofthe State   | Contamination Wise Number Of affected Habitations   | Contamination Wise Number Of affected Habitations   | Contamination Wise Number Of affected Habitations   | Contamination Wise Number Of affected Habitations   | Contamination Wise Number Of affected Habitations   | Contamination Wise Number Of affected Habitations   | Contamination Wise Number Of affected Habitations   |
|----------|-------------------|-----------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------|
| S. No.   | Nameofthe State   | Fluoride                                            | Arsenic                                             | Iron                                                | Salinity                                            | Nitrate                                             | Heavy Metal                                         | Total                                               |
| 1        | Andhra Pradesh    | 348                                                 | 0                                                   | 1                                                   | 62                                                  | 6                                                   | 0                                                   | 417                                                 |
| 2        | Arunachal Pradesh | 0                                                   | 0                                                   | 31                                                  | 0                                                   | 0                                                   | 0                                                   | 31                                                  |
| 3        | Assam             | 285                                                 | 4514                                                | 6213                                                | 0                                                   | 0                                                   | 7                                                   | 11019                                               |
| 4        | Bihar             | 898                                                 | 871                                                 | 2443                                                | 0                                                   | 0                                                   | 0                                                   | 4212                                                |
| 5        | Chhattisgarh      | 403                                                 | 19                                                  | 728                                                 | 2                                                   | 10                                                  | 0                                                   | 1162                                                |
| 6        | Haryana           | 118                                                 | 0                                                   | 0                                                   | 9                                                   | 0                                                   | 0                                                   | 127                                                 |
| 7        | Jammu & Kashmir   | 4                                                   | 0                                                   | 12                                                  | 0                                                   | 0                                                   | 0                                                   | 16                                                  |
| 8        | Jharkhand         | 534                                                 | 101                                                 | 2183                                                | 3                                                   | 4                                                   | 0                                                   | 2825                                                |
| 9        | Karnataka         | 579                                                 | 4                                                   | 77                                                  | 40                                                  | 318                                                 | 1                                                   | 1019                                                |
| 10       | Kerala            | 34                                                  | 0                                                   | 199                                                 | 96                                                  | 32                                                  | 0                                                   | 361                                                 |
| 11       | Madhya Pradesh    | 171                                                 | 0                                                   | 5                                                   | 10                                                  | 0                                                   | 0                                                   | 186                                                 |
| 12       | Maharashtra       | 75                                                  | 0                                                   | 17                                                  | 92                                                  | 88                                                  | 0                                                   | 272                                                 |
| 13       | Meghalaya         | 0                                                   | 0                                                   | 32                                                  | 0                                                   | 0                                                   | 0                                                   | 32                                                  |
| 14       | Nagaland          | 0                                                   | 0                                                   | 30                                                  | 0                                                   | 0                                                   | 0                                                   | 30                                                  |
| 15       | Odisha            | 104                                                 | 0                                                   | 2543                                                | 377                                                 | 0                                                   | 0                                                   | 3024                                                |
| 16       | Punjab            | 298                                                 | 698                                                 | 267                                                 | 14                                                  | 143                                                 | 2106                                                | 3526                                                |
| 17       | Rajasthan         | 5996                                                | 0                                                   | 5                                                   | 12606                                               | 1050                                                | 0                                                   | 19657                                               |
| 18       | Tamil Nadu        | 0                                                   | 0                                                   | 171                                                 | 22                                                  | 0                                                   | 0                                                   | 193                                                 |
| 19       | Telangana         | 681                                                 | 0                                                   | 36                                                  | 182                                                 | 145                                                 | 0                                                   | 1044                                                |
| 20       | Tripura           | 0                                                   | 0                                                   | 2538                                                | 0                                                   | 0                                                   | 0                                                   | 2538                                                |
| 21       | Uttar Pradesh     | 179                                                 | 748                                                 | 362                                                 | 80                                                  | 10                                                  | 0                                                   | 1379                                                |
| 22       | Uttarakhand       | 0                                                   | 0                                                   | 13                                                  | 0                                                   | 3                                                   | 0                                                   | 16                                                  |
| 23       | West Bengal       | 1322                                                | 9934                                                | 5707                                                | 474                                                 | 0                                                   | 270                                                 | 17707                                               |
| Total    | Total             | 12029                                               | 16889                                               | 23613                                               | 14069                                               | 1809                                                | 2384                                                | 70793                                               |