Lok Sabha Question No. 278 (STARRED), answered on 2019-07-11
Subject: Accessibility to Drinking Water
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Bharti Pravin Pawar, Giridhari Yadav

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI DEPARTMENT OF DRINKING WATER & SANITATION LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 278 TO BE ANSWERED ON 11.07.2019

## Accessibility to Drinking Water

## †*278. DR. BHARATI PRAVIN PAWAR, SHRI GIRIDHARI YADAV

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

- (a) whether 25 per cent people in the villages as against 75 per cent people in the cities have access to drinking water in the country;
- (b)  if  so,  the  details  thereof  along  with  the  reasons  for  less  availability  of  drinking water in villages with the passage of time; and
- (c) the steps taken by the Government in this regard along with the extent to which availability  of  drinking  water  in  villages  has  been  increased  as  a  result  of  the same?

## 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. 278 due for reply on 11.07.2019

(a)and  (b)Drinking  water  supply  is  a  state  subject.  Under  National  Rural  Drinking Water  Programme  (NRDWP),  the  Department  of  Drinking  Water  and  Sanitation supplements the efforts of states for improving the coverage of drinking water in rural areas  of  the  country.  As  reported  by  States  on  Integrated  Management  Information System  (IMIS),  out  of  total  rural  population  of  9182.58  lakhs,  7001.50  lakhs population (76.25%) are fully covered (i.e. getting more than 40 litres per capita per day safe drinking water) and 1815.66 lakhs population (19.77%) are partially covered (i.e.  getting  less  than  40  litres  per  capita  per  day  safe  drinking  water)  as  on 07.07.2019.  Hence,  96.02%  rural  population  have  access  to  drinking  water  in  the villages.

The  availability  of  drinking  water  in  rural  areas  is  affected  by  many  factors which include, inter  alia,  depletion  of  ground  water  level,  contamination  of  surface water sources, drying up of ponds & wells, increase in population, deficient rainfall leading to insufficient recharge of water bodies etc.

(c)  Under  NRDWP,  the  Ministry  provides  technical  and  financial  assistance  to  the states to improve the availability of drinking water in rural areas. During 2018-19, Rs. 5466.24 crore has been released to states for improving the coverage of drinking water in  rural  areas  which  resulted  in  coverage  of  more  number  of  rural  populations  with drinking water. Details of physical coverage during 2018-19 are as under:

| Financial Year   |   Fully covered habitations (in Nos.) |   Partially covered habitations (in Nos.) |   Quality affected habitations (in Nos.) |
|------------------|---------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|
| 2018-19          |                                 32460 |                                     30964 |                                     4378 |

(Source: IMIS)