Lok Sabha Question No. 916 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-07-21
Subject: Shortage of Water
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Anubhav Mohanty

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI

## DEPARTMENT OF DRINKING WATER AND SANITATION

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 916 TO BE ANSWERED ON 21.07.2022

## SHORTAGE OF WATER

## 916:   SHRI ANUBHAV MOHANTY:

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is aware of the drinking water shortage faced by the people of the coastal areas of Odisha;
- (b) if so, the details of the action taken by the Government to provide clean drinking water to the people of the coastal areas of Odisha;
- (c) the action taken by the Government in the direction of establishing Saline Water Treatment Plants (SWTP) in such areas in order to ensure that the people get clean drinking water;
- (d) whether any survey has been conducted to establish the hazard of saline water contamination on the surface as well as ground water of such coastal areas; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof and it not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

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

(a)  &  (b)  As  informed  by  State  Government  of  Odisha,  the  following  measures,  as  per requirements, are being taken for supply of safe drinking water in coastal areas where shortage of drinking water is faced by the people:

- i. Deep tube wells are being sunk providing saline sealing to protect intrusion of brackish water and to fetch sweet water.
- ii. Ground water based piped water supply schemes are executed in the areas drawing water from the saline free sweet water aquifers.
- iii. In saline areas, Mega Piped Water Supply Schemes are being established collecting water from  Perennial  Rivers  through  intake  structures  and  safe  water  is  being  supplied  after necessary treatment of raw water.

Government of India is implementing Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM,) in partnership with States/ UTs including Odisha, to provide tap water connection to every rural household including those in coastal areas of Odisha by 2024. Further under JJM, States have been advised to accord priority to  water  quality-affected habitations. As on 18-07-2022, out of 88.57 lakh rural households in Odisha, 43.87 lakh, including households in coastal areas, are having provision of potable tap water supply.

Several  steps  towards  sustainable  management  of  water  in  urban  areas  through  issuance  of various guidelines and implementation of National Missions i.e., Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) & AMRUT 2.0 have been taken. In Odisha, nine cities which include six coastal areas are covered under AMRUT for water supply sector.

AMRUT 2.0 was launched on 1 st October, 2021 covering all the statutory towns of the country including  that  of  Odisha  to  ensure  universal  coverage  of  water  supply  &  make  cities  'water secure'through  provision  of  tap  connections.The  interventions  include  preparation  of  Aquifer Management Plan to maintain positive groundwater balance in urban aquifer systems. So  far, under water supply sector, 72 projects under State Water Action Plan-1 submitted by State of Odisha have been approved by Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.

(c) Powers to plan, approve and implement drinking water supply schemes is vested with States. The  States  take  up  appropriate  water  treatment  system/  technology  depending  upon  technoeconomic feasibility. State of Odisha has informed that there is no such proposal for establishing saline water treatment plant in coastal areas. (d)  and  (e)  As  reported  by  the  State  Government  of Odisha, no survey has been  conducted to establish the hazard of saline water contamination on the surface as well as ground water of such coastal areas.

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