Lok Sabha Question No. 2058 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-07-27
Subject: Programme on Drinking Water
Ministry: DRINKING WATER AND SANITATION
Asked by: DHARAM VIRA GANDHI, P.K.SREEMATHI TEACHER, M. B. RAJESH

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF DRINKING WATER & SANITATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2058

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 27.07.2017

## Programme on Drinking Water

## 2058. SHRI DHARAM  VIRA: SHRIMATI P.K. SREEMATHI TEACHER: SHRI M.B. RAJESH:

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

- (a) whether the Government has any proposal  to  have  a  mission-mode programme on drinking water in place and if so, the details thereof;
- (b)  the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  deal  with  the  problem  of  non-availability  of clean drinking water in water scarce places in the country;
- (c)  whether  the  Government  plans  to  collect  standardized  data  on  drinking  water availability;
- (d) if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) the details of the schemes in place for  the  purpose  of  promoting  the importance of safe drinking water as a public health concern and not just as a basic necessity and for spreading  awareness  about  the  kind of  diseases that  arise  out of  non-availability  of potable water?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR DRINKING WATER AND SANITATION (SHRI RAMESH CHANDAPPA JIGAJINAGI)

- (a)  Rural  drinking  water  supply  is  a  state  subject.  For  improving  the  coverage  of  clean 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).  Further,  in  order  to  have  a focused  approach,  the  Ministry  of  Drinking  Water  and  Sanitation  has  launched  a National Water Quality Sub-Mission focussed funding ring fenced only to arsenic and fluoride  rural  population  on  50  :  50  cost  sharing  basis  between  centre  and  state  and 90:10  for  North-Eastern  &  Himalayan  States  preferably  through  surface  water  based piped water supply schemes. Under this program, Rs. 814.14 Crore have been released to  15  States  to  complete  ongoing  schemes.  Under  this  Sub-Mission,  the  goal  is  to

provide safe drinking water to arsenic and fluoride affected habitations from sustainable water sources. Ministry has advised all States to complete these on-going schemes by December, 2018.

- (b) Currently as per the information furnished by the State in the web portal of the Ministry, 23.44 % of total rural population is being provided less than the norm of 40 litres per capita per day and 5.65 % of rural population do not have access to safe drinking water. Thus about 29.09 % of rural population is facing scarcity of drinking water. As a long term solution,  this  Ministry  has  directed  the  States  to  cover  the  rural households  with Piped Water Supply with sustainable safe source. This Ministry has prepared a Strategic Plan  for  providing drinking  water  supply  in  rural  areas  of  the  country  for  the  period 2011-2022. As per this, by 2022, the goal is to cover at least 90% of rural households are provided with piped water supply.To achieve this, the States have been advised to pool more funds from State plan in view of the enhanced devolution of funds under the 14th  Finance  Commission  and  to  arrange  external  assistance  or  loan  from  lending institution over and above the funding from the Ministry under National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP). In arsenic & fluoride affected habitations, the Ministry has  advised  the  States  to  provide  8  to  10  litres  per  capita  per  day  by  installing community  water  purification  plants.  In  2017-18,  there  is  an  allocation  of  Rs.6050 Crores under NRDWP and till 17.07.2017, an amount of Rs. 1170.44 Crores has already been released to State Governments.
- (c)& (d)The Ministry, under NRDWP, deals with provision of drinking water to the rural population of the country only. As per the current norms/standards the basic minimum requirement of potable drinking water is 40 litres per capita per day (lpcd). Depending upon  the  availability  of  water  &  financial  resources,  the  states  may  provide  higher service  level.The  vision  for  rural  domestic  water  supply  in  the  Strategic  Plan  of  the Ministry  is  to  cover  all  rural  households  with  safe  piped  drinking  water  supply  with availability of 70 lpcd. However, as an interim measure the norm of 55 lpcd has been fixed and out of this, 3 lpcd is for drinking purpose whereas 10 lpcd is for ablution / toilets (sanitation purposes).

The  norms  have  been  fixed  taking  into  consideration  the  minimum  drinking  water requirement and the consumer as a unit. The said usage norms are indicative and inter se usages  may  vary  depending  on  the  consumer  preferences  and  the  demand  of  the situation.

- (e)Ministry  has  advised  the  State  Governments  to  utilize    the    5%    of    National    Rural Drinking  Water Programme  (NRDWP)  support  funds  for  promoting importance   of safe   drinking   water,   spreading awareness  of  consuming  safe  water  and  kind  of diseases that arise out of consuming unsafe water.