Lok Sabha Question No. 835 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-07-21
Subject: Contamination of Ground Water
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Ramya  Haridas, Poonam (Mahajan) Vajendla Rao

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI

## DEPARTMENT OF DRINKING WATER AND SANITATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 835

ANSWERED ON 21/07/2022

## CONTAMINATION OF GROUND WATER

## 835. MS. RAMYA  HARIDAS: SHRIMATI  POONAM  MAHAJAN:

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has taken cognizance of the availability of hazardous chemical contents  in  ground  water  which  is  being  used  for  drinking  purposes  throughout  the country despite being unfit, thereby adversely affecting human health;
- (b) if so, whether the Government has conducted any scientific study in this matter;
- (c) if so, the details thereof, State-wise and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (d) the  remedial  steps  taken/being  taken  by  the  Government,  in  coordination  with  various State Governments, in this regard; and
- (e) the steps being taken by the Government to ensure availability of safe drinking water to the citizens?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE  FOR JAL SHAKTI (SHRI PRAHLAD SINGH PATEL)

(a)  to  (e)  Bureau  of  Indian  Standards  IS-10500:  2012  specifies  'acceptable  limit'  and 'permissible  limit  in  the  absence  of  alternate  source'  for  various  physio-chemical  and bacteriological parameters for drinking water quality as provided in the Annex-I. As reported by  States/  UTs,  State-wise  details  of  habitations  affected  with  contamination  of  Arsenic, Fluoride, Iron, Salinity, Nitrate & Heavy Metals in drinking water sources are at Annex-II .

Central  Ground  Water  Board  generates  ground  water  quality  data  on  regional  scale  during various  scientific  studies  and  ground  water  monitoring  programme  throughout  the  country. Data on ground water quality has been shared with concerned State Governments for taking remedial measures, awareness and monitoring of drinking water use.

To make provision of potable tap water supply in adequate quantity, of prescribed quality and on  regular  &  long-term  basis  to  every  rural  household  by  2024,  since  August,  2019, Government of India in partnership with States, is implementing Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) Har Ghar Jal. Under JJM, while allocating the funds to States/ UTs, 10% weightage is given to the population residing in habitations affected by chemical contaminants.

Under  JJM,  while  planning  for  potable  water  supply  to  household  through  tap  water connection, priority is to be given to quality-affected habitations. Since, planning, implementation  and  commissioning  of  piped  water  supply  scheme  based  on  a  safe  water source may take time, purely as an interim measure, States/ UTs have been advised to install community  water  purification  plants  (CWPPs)  especially  in  Arsenic  and  Fluoride  affected 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.

Under Jal Jeevan Mission, as per existing guidelines, IS:10500 is to be adopted for ensuring safe drinking water supply and States/ UTs have been advised to carry out testing of drinking water  sources  once  in  year  for  chemical  and  physical  parameters,  and  twice  in  a  year  for bacteriological parameters. To enable States/ UTs to test water samples for water quality, and for  sample  collection,  reporting,  monitoring  and  surveillance  of  drinking  water  sources,  an online  JJM  -  Water  Quality  Management  Information  System  (WQMIS)  portal  has  been developed. The State-wise details of water quality test reported through WQMIS is available in public domain on JJM Dashboard and can also be accessed at:

## https://neer.icmr.org.in/website/main.php

To encourage water quality testing to ensure potable drinking water supply, States/ UTs have opened water quality testing laboratories to general public for testing of their water samples at a nominal rate.

States/ UTs have been advised to identify and train 5 persons preferably women viz. ASHA workers,  health  workers,  VWSC  members,  teachers,  etc.  in  each  village  to  conduct  water quality  tests  using  FTKs/  bacteriological  vials  at  village  level  and  report  the  same  on  the portal.

*****

Annex - I Referred to in the reply to Lok Sabha unstarred Question No. 835 due for reply on 21.07.2022

'Acceptable limit' and 'permissible limit in the absence of alternate source' prescribed by Bureau  of  Indian Standard  (BIS)  (extract) for various  physio-chemical  and bacteriological parameters for drinking water quality

|   S. No. | Characteristics                              | Unit                                         | Acceptable Limit                             | Permissible Limit                            |
|----------|----------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
|        1 | pH value                                     | ..                                           | 6.5 -8.5                                     | No relaxation                                |
|        2 | Total dissolved solids                       | Milligram/ litre                             | 500                                          | 2,000                                        |
|        3 | Turbidity                                    | NTU                                          | 1                                            | 5                                            |
|        4 | Chloride                                     | Milligram/ litre                             | 250                                          | 1,000                                        |
|        5 | Total Alkalinity                             | Milligram/ litre                             | 200                                          | 600                                          |
|        6 | Total Hardness                               | Milligram/ litre                             | 200                                          | 600                                          |
|        7 | Sulphate                                     | Milligram/ litre                             | 200                                          | 400                                          |
|        8 | Iron                                         | Milligram/ litre                             | 1.0                                          | No relaxation                                |
|        9 | Total Arsenic                                | Milligram/ litre                             | 0.01                                         | No relaxation                                |
|       10 | Fluoride                                     | Milligram/ litre                             | 1.0                                          | 1.5                                          |
|       11 | Nitrate                                      | Milligram/ litre                             | 45                                           | No relaxation                                |
|       12 | Total Coliform bacteria                      | Shall not be detectable in any 100 ml sample | Shall not be detectable in any 100 ml sample | Shall not be detectable in any 100 ml sample |
|       13 | E-coli or thermo- tolerant coliform bacteria | Shall not be detectable in any 100 ml sample | Shall not be detectable in any 100 ml sample | Shall not be detectable in any 100 ml sample |

## Referred  to  in  the  reply  to  Lok  Sabha  unstarred  Question  No.  835  due  for  reply  on 21.07.2022

## State-wise number of habitations affected with contamination in drinking water sources and CWPPs installed in Arsenic and Fluoride affected habitations

| S. No.   | State             | Number of quality affected habitations   | Number of quality affected habitations   | Number of quality affected habitations   | Number of quality affected habitations   | Number of quality affected habitations   | Number of quality affected habitations   | Number of quality affected habitations   | Number of quality affected habitations   |
|----------|-------------------|------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|
| S. No.   | State             | Fluoride                                 | CWPP Installed                           | Arsenic                                  | CWPP installed                           | Iron                                     | Salinity                                 | Nitrate                                  | Heavy Metal                              |
| 1.       | Arunachal Pradesh | -                                        | -                                        | -                                        | -                                        | 224                                      | -                                        | -                                        | -                                        |
| 2.       | Assam             | -                                        | -                                        | 7                                        | 7                                        | 10,231                                   | -                                        | -                                        | 3                                        |
| 3.       | Bihar             | 1                                        | -                                        | 11                                       | 2                                        | 449                                      | -                                        | -                                        | -                                        |
| 4.       | Chhattisgarh      | 168                                      | -                                        | -                                        | -                                        | 25                                       | -                                        | -                                        | -                                        |
| 5.       | Jharkhand         | 2                                        | 2                                        | -                                        | -                                        | 57                                       | -                                        | -                                        | -                                        |
| 6.       | Kerala            | 5                                        | 5                                        | -                                        | -                                        | 61                                       | 18                                       | 8                                        | -                                        |
| 7.       | Madhya Pradesh    | 1                                        | -                                        | -                                        | -                                        | -                                        | 4                                        | -                                        | -                                        |
| 8.       | Maharashtra       | 3                                        | -                                        | -                                        | -                                        | 6                                        | 31                                       | 6                                        | -                                        |
| 9.       | Odisha            | 41                                       | -                                        | -                                        | -                                        | 1,972                                    | 26                                       | 6                                        | -                                        |
| 10.      | Punjab            | 182                                      | 134                                      | 556                                      | 289                                      | 7                                        | -                                        | 23                                       | 103                                      |
| 11.      | Rajasthan         | 188                                      | 153                                      | -                                        | -                                        | 4                                        | 9,772                                    | 463                                      | -                                        |
| 12.      | Tripura           | -                                        | -                                        | -                                        | -                                        | 748                                      | -                                        | -                                        | -                                        |
| 13.      | Uttar Pradesh     | 38                                       | 38                                       | 107                                      | 107                                      | 281                                      | 79                                       | 10                                       | -                                        |
| 14.      | Uttarakhand       | -                                        | -                                        | -                                        | -                                        | 2                                        | -                                        | 1                                        | -                                        |
| 15.      | West Bengal       | 42                                       | 7                                        | 133                                      | 48                                       | 18                                       | 1                                        | -                                        | 5                                        |
| Total    | Total             | 671                                      | 339                                      | 814                                      | 453                                      | 14,085                                   | 9,931                                    | 517                                      | 111                                      |

Source: JJM-IMIS