Lok Sabha Question No. 1499 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-02-10
Subject: Quality of Tap Water under Har Ghar Jal Yojana
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Nusrat Jahan Ruhi, Balubhau (Alias Suresh Narayan) Dhanorkar, Faizal P.P. Mohammed, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI

## DEPARTMENT OF DRINKING WATER AND SANITATION

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1499

TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.02.2022

## QUALITY OF TAP WATER UNDER HAR GHAR JAL YOJANA

## 1499. SHRIMATI NUSRAT JAHAN RUHI:

SHRI ADHIR RANJAN CHOWDHURY:

SHRI BALUBHAU ALIAS SURESHNARAYAN DHANORKAR:

SHRI MOHAMMED FAIZAL P.P.:

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  taken  measures  to  ensure  the  quality  of  tap  water  being supplied under Har Ghar Jal Yojana;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (c) the details of the States that have achieved 100 per cent tap water supply under Har Ghar Jal Yojana from 2019 till date, year-wise,;
- (d) the  number  of  deaths  due  to  consumption  of  hazardous  quality  water  supplied  in  handpumps in rural districts from 2019 till present, State and year-wise;
- (e) the  details  of  measures  being  taken  to  ensure  supply  of  contaminant-free  tap  water connections to rural areas where there is a higher concentration of poor quality water in view of  recent  deaths  in  Uttar  Pradesh  due  to  consumption  of  contaminated  water  from  handpumps;
- (f) whether medical and financial assistance has been provided to the families of those currently seeking treatment or those who died from consumption of contaminated water; and
- (g) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

(a),  (b)  &  (e)  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. While taking up schemes to make provision of potable tap water supply to rural households, priority is given to quality-affected habitations.

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,  which  is  available  in public domain on JJM Dashboard and can also be accessed at:

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

This portal also provides automated alerts to concerned authorities in States/  UTs, if the water sample tested is contaminated, to initiate remedial actions. On this portal an individual can also register  his sample and choose nearby water quality testing laboratory to get the water sample tested. Thus, testing of water samples and reporting in rural areas, has been made accessible and easy.

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

(c)  Year-wise  details  of  States/  UTs,  which  have  made provision  for  tap  water  supply  to  all rural households, is as follows:

| 2019   | 2020   | 2021                                                                        | 2022   |
|--------|--------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------|
| -      | Goa    | Telangana Haryana Puducherry A &NIslands Dadra &Nagar Haveli and Daman &Diu | -      |

(d), (f) & (g) The number of deaths due to contaminated drinking water is not maintained by the Department. Under JJM no direct assistance is provided to any individual.

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