Lok Sabha Question No. 779 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-11-21
Subject: Access to Clean Water
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Sambhajirao Mane Dhairyasheel, Sudheer Gupta, Sanjay Sadashivrao Mandlik, Gajanan Chandrakant Kirtikar, Bidyut Baran Mahato

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI DEPARTMENT OF DRINKING WATER AND SANITATION

## LOK SHABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 779 TO BE ANSWERED ON 21.11.2019

## Access to Clean Water

## 779 . SHRI DHAIRYASHEEL SAMBHAJIRAO MANE :

SHRI SUDHEER GUPTA :

SHRI SANJAY SADASHIV RAO MANDLIK :

SHRI GAJANAN KIRTIKAR :

SHRI BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO:

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

- a)  whether  it  is  true  that  163  million  Indians  lacked  access  to  clean  water,  the highest for any country in the world and if so, the details thereof along with the reasons for the same;
- b)  whether the Government proposes to fix a threshold limit of assured household water supply to every household in the country under Rashtriya Jal Kosh and if so, the details thereof;
- c)  whether  the  Government  has  also  set  up  a  dedicated  fund  for  this  ambitious mission to provide piped water to every rural Indian household by 2024 and if so, the details thereof;
- d)  whether  the  Government  proposes  to  spend  a  sizable  chunk  of  MGNREGA Scheme budget for Jal Jeevan Mission to conserve water and augment supply particularly to alleviate the water crisis in 254 severely water stressed districts of the country and if so, the details thereof;
- e)  whether the Government has set up any deadline for completing the mapping of all  water  sources  and  aquifers  in  these  districts  and if  so,  the  details  thereof; and
- f) the funds sanctioned by the Government for the above said purpose?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI (SHRI RATTAN LAL KATARIA)

(a) As reported by States/ UTs, a very large population of India has access to potable drinking  water  in  adequate  quantity.  81.22%  rural  habitations  having  76.54%  rural population are fully covered with water supply provision of 40 litres or more per capita per  day  (lpcd)  and  15.54%  rural  habitations  having  19.69%  rural  population  are partially  covered,  i.e.  with  provision  of  less  than  40  lpcd,  whereas  3.24%  rural habitations having 3.77% rural population are having water sources with quality issues.

(b)&(c) Government of India has launched Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) with the objective to  provide  Functional  Household  Tap  Connection (FHTC) at the rate of 55 litres per capita per day (lpcd) to every rural household by 2024.

Rural water supply is a State subject and Government of India supplements the efforts of the States by providing financial and technical assistance. State Governments plan, approve and implement water supply schemes to provide potable water  to  rural  population.  To  enable  every  rural  household  to  have  Functional Household Tap Connection (FHTC) by 2024, Government of India has launched Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), with an outlay of 3.60 lakh Crore. (d) Under  Jal Jeevan  Mission, source sustainability measures  like rain water harvesting, groundwater recharge and other water conservation measures as well as grey water management including reuse, are to be undertaken at grass-root level in convergence  with  MGNREGA  scheme.  Further, to  promote  water  conservation  and water resource management and to spread awareness among all stakeholders about compelling need of water conservation, Government of India has launched Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA) in 256 water-stressed districts of the country. Five target interventions, viz.  water  conservation  &  rainwater  harvesting,  renovation  of  traditional  and  other water bodies/ tanks, reuse and recharge of bore wells, watershed development and intensive afforestation are the focus areas of this campaign. With this campaign, huge awareness has been generated and various stakeholders, viz. government departments,  agencies,  NGOs,  officials,  Panchayats,  individuals,  etc.  have  started taking steps for water conservation.

(e) Mapping of aquifers is being taken up as a part of the National Aquifer Mapping and Management Programme (NAQUIM), which is a component of the Central Sector Scheme of Ground Water Management and Regulation. As a part of this programme, there is a target to cover 6.6 lakh sq. km areas in the period 2017-20, but there is no specific  deadline  for  completing  mapping  of  water  sources  and  aquifers  in  the mentioned 254 districts. However, as a part of the ongoing NAQUIM programme, 175 of the said districts have already been covered.

(f)  No  specific  fund  has  been  sanctioned  for  mapping  of  aquifers  in  these  districts. However,  out  of  total  outlay  of Rs  992  Crore   for  2017-20  for  the  groundwater management  and  regulation  scheme,  Rs  694  Crore  is  for  aquifer  mapping  and management component.

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