Lok Sabha Question No. 327 (STARRED), answered on 2021-03-18
Subject: Arsenic and Fluoride Affected Areas
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Midhun Reddy, Reddeppa Nallakonda Gari

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI

## DEPARTMENT OF DRINKING WATER AND SANITATION

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *327

TO BE ANSWERED ON 18.03.2021

## ARSENIC AND FLUORIDE AFFECTED AREAS

## * 327. SHRI P.V. MIDHUN REDDY:

SHRI  N. REDDEPPA:

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Jal Jeevan Mission has a special focus on the Arsenic and Fluoride affected areas in the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) the  State-wise  break-up of the  Mission  coverage  in  the  Arsenic and  Fluoride  affected habitations in the country?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER FOR JAL SHAKTI (SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT)

- (a) to (c) A Statement of reply is laid on the Table of the House.

## Statement referred to in the reply to Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 327 due for reply on 18.03.2021

(a) & (b) Since August, 2019, Government of India in partnership with States, is implementing  Jal  Jeevan  Mission  (JJM)  to  provide  potable  tap  water  supply  to  every  rural household  in  the  country,  by  2024.  Under  JJM,  while  planning  water  supply  schemes  to provide tap water supply to rural households, priority is given to quality-affected habitations which, inter  alia, includes  habitations  affected  with  Arsenic  and  Fluoride  contamination. Accordingly, States are prioritising water supply schemes to provide potable drinking water in such habitations.

While allocating the funds to States/ UTs in a particular financial year, 10% weightage is given to  the population  residing  in habitations  affected by  chemical contaminants  including Arsenic  and  Fluoride,  as  on  31 st March  of  the  preceding  financial  year.  Since,  planning, implementation  and  commissioning  of  piped  water  supply  schemes  based  on  a  safe  water source likely to  take  time,  purely  as  an  interim  measure,  States/ UTs  have been  advised  to install community water purification plants (CWPPs) in such habitations, to provide potable water  to  every  household  at  the  rate  of  8-10  litre  per  capita  per  day  (lpcd)  to  meet  their drinking and cooking requirements.

To provide potable drinking water to 27,544 Arsenic/ Fluoride-affected habitations in the country, in March 2017, National Water Quality Sub-Mission (NWQSM) was launched as a part of National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP), which has now been subsumed into Jal Jeevan Mission. As reported by States, except 1,386 habitations, potable water is now available in all these habitations.

(c)   As  reported  by  States/  UTs,  number  of  Arsenic  and  Fluoride-affected  habitations, wherein provision of safe drinking water has been made, since launch of Jal Jeevan Mission, is annexed.

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Annex referred in the reply to Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 327 due for reply on 18.03.2021

## State-wise details of Arsenic and Fluoride-affected habitations provided with safe drinking water since launch of JJM

(as on 12.03.2021)

| S. No.   | Name of State   | Number of Arsenic- affected habitations provided with safe drinking water   | Number of Fluoride- affected habitations provided with safe drinking water   |
|----------|-----------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1.       | Andhra Pradesh  | 0                                                                           | 119                                                                          |
| 2.       | Assam           | 2,291                                                                       | 35                                                                           |
| 3.       | Bihar           | 385                                                                         | 844                                                                          |
| 4.       | Chhattisgarh    | 0                                                                           | 6                                                                            |
| 5.       | Haryana         | 0                                                                           | 59                                                                           |
| 6.       | Jharkhand       | 5                                                                           | 52                                                                           |
| 7.       | Karnataka       | 0                                                                           | 191                                                                          |
| 8.       | Kerala          | 0                                                                           | 13                                                                           |
| 9.       | Madhya Pradesh  | 0                                                                           | 74                                                                           |
| 10.      | Maharashtra     | 0                                                                           | 15                                                                           |
| 11.      | Odisha          | 0                                                                           | 5                                                                            |
| 12.      | Punjab          | 43                                                                          | 10                                                                           |
| 13.      | Rajasthan       | 0                                                                           | 2,820                                                                        |
| 14.      | Uttar Pradesh   | 222                                                                         | 73                                                                           |
| 15.      | West Bengal     | 3,115                                                                       | 276                                                                          |
| Total    | Total           | 6,061                                                                       | 4,592                                                                        |

Source: JJM-IMIS