Lok Sabha Question No. 1933 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-07-28
Subject: Pure Drinking Water to Every Citizen
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Riti Pathak, Dileshwar Kamait, Locket Chatterjee, Navneet Ravi Rana, Jugal Kishore Sharma

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI

## DEPARTMENT OF DRINKING WATER AND SANITATION

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1933

TO BE ANSWERED ON 28/07/2022

## PURE DRINKING WATER TO EVERY CITIZEN

## †1933. SHRIMATI RITI PATHAK:

SHRI DILESHWAR KAMAIT:

SHRIMATI NAVNEET RAVI RANA:

MS. LOCKET CHATTERJEE:

SHRI JUGAL KISHORE SHARMA:

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

- (a) the definition of pure drinking water;
- (b) whether  pure  drinking  water  is  not  available  in  several  parts  of  the  country  which  is causing chronic diseases to the people;
- (c) if so, the reasons for the Government not being able to provide pure drinking water to the people  even  after  so  many  years  of  independence  along  with  the  details  thereof particularly of Amravati Parliamentary Constituency; and
- (d) the details of the efforts being made and the schemes being formulated by the Government to provide pure drinking water to every citizen of the country?

## ANSWER

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

(a) 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.

(b) to (d) As reported by States/ UTs, as on 25.07.2022, out of 16.99 lakh rural habitations in the country, 13.08 lakh [77.01%] have provision of potable drinking water with more than 40 litre per capita per day (lpcd) and 3.64 lakh [21.45%] rural habitations with less than 40 lpcd with sources at a reasonable distance. Further, 0.26 lakh [1.54%] rural habitations are reported to have water quality issues in drinking water sources.

As reported by Maharashtra State, as on 25.07.2022, out of 1608 rural habitations in Amravati district, 1,314[81.72%] have provision of potable drinking water with more than 40 litre per capita per day (lpcd) and remaining 294 [18.28% rural habitations with less than 40 lpcd with sources at a reasonable distance. No habitations with water quality issues has been reported in Amravati district.

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  and  while planning for potable water supply to household through tap water connection, priority is to be 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. 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.

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Annex

Annex referred to in the reply to part (a) of Lok Sabha unstarred Question No. 1933 due for reply on 28.07.2022

'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 |