Lok Sabha Question No. 3868 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-03-18
Subject: Drinking Water Supply System
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Sajda Ahmed

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3868

TO BE ANSWERED ON 18.03.2021

## DRINKING WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM

## 3868. SHRIMATI SAJDA AHMED:

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

(a)   the  steps taken by the Union Government to ensure the sustainability of drinking water supply systems to meet the demand of water under Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM);

(b)   whether any support has been provided by the Union Government to assist, empower and facilitate States Governments in implementation of JJM and if so, the details thereof; and

(c)   whether the Union Government has made any provision for water testing laboratories for the public to ensure quality potable water and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

(a)   Development of reliable drinking water sources and/ or augmentation of existing sources to provide assured water supply system in villages is an integral part of Jal Jeevan Mission. Provision  has  been  made  for  the  preparation  of  Village  Action  Plan  (VAP)  by  village community, which inter alia includes strengthening of drinking water sources in convergence with other schemes such as MGNREGS, 15 th Finance Commission tied grants to rural local bodies/  PRIs,  MP&  MLA's  Local  Area  Development  Fund,  District  Mineral  Development Fund, CSR fund, etc.

In  2019,  Government  of  India  also  launched  Jal  Shakti  Abhiyan  (JSA),  an  intensive  water conservation campaign with five targeted interventions i.e. water conservation and rainwater harvesting; renovation of traditional and other water bodies; reuse and recharge of borewells; watershed  development  and  intensive  afforestation,  to  improve  water  availability  including ground  water  in  1,592  water-stressed  blocks  of  256  districts  of  the  country.  This  year,  Jal Shakti Abhiyan is likely to be launched on World Water Day i.e. March 22, 2021.

(b)   JJM, being implemented in partnership with States, aims at universal coverage of every rural household through tap water connection by 2024. Government of India supplements the efforts of States/ UTs by providing them with financial and technical assistance.

So far, an amount of around Rs. 20,000 Crore has been made available to the States as Central fund  under  JJM.  Further,  to  ensure  the  successful  implementation  of  time-bound  missionmode programme,  Govt.  of  India  has  been  regularly  reviewing  the  implementation  of  the Mission  with  the  State  governments.  Several  meetings  including  conferences,  workshops, review  meetings  through  video  conferences,  field  visits,  etc.  are  being  held  from  time  to time,wherein States are advised to plan and expedite the implementation to achieve the goal in time-bound manner.

(c)   Under  JJM,  States/  UTs  can  utilize  upto  2%  of  their  annual  allocation  for  taking  up water quality monitoring & surveillance activities. States/ UTs have been advised to upgrade different  level  of  laboratories  i.e.  State,  district,  sub-division  and/  or  block  level  and  get NABL  accreditation  and/  or  recognition.  As  reported,  States/  UTs  are  upgrading  water quality testing laboratories and opening them to public for enabling them to get their water samples tested at nominal rates.

Recently in the 'Conference of States/ UT's Ministers on Jal Jeevan Mission' held on March 13,  2021,  'Drinking  Water  Quality  Monitoring  &  Surveillance  Framework'  has  been released  to  help  the  States/  UTs  to  carry  out  water  quality  testing,  online  reporting, monitoring  and  surveillance  of  drinking  water  sources,  etc.  To  bring  in  transparency  and facilitate  water  quality  testing and  reporting  by  following  the  aforesaid  framework,  JJM Water Quality Management Information System (WQMIS) has also been launched.

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