Lok Sabha Question No. 882 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-07-21
Subject: Contamination of Drinking Water in West Bengal and Assam
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Kalyan Banerjee, Pallab Lochan Das

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI

## DEPARTMENT OF DRINKING WATER AND SANITATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 882

ANSWERED ON 21/07/2022

## CONTAMINATION OF DRINKING WATER IN WEST BENGAL AND ASSAM

## 882. SHRI KALYAN  BANERJEE:

SHRI PALLAB LOCHAN DAS:

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

- (a) whether it is a fact that the quality of drinking water in many districts of West Bengal and North-Eastern region particularly Assam has become very poor due to large quantity of Iron and Arsenic in water and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether  it  is  also  a  fact  that  due  to  such  contamination  lots  of  people  in  these  areas  are suffering from life threatening diseases; and
- (c) if  so,  whether  the  Government  has  conducted  any  survey  to  mitigate  this  problem  and  to provide clean contamination free drinking water supply to the people and if so, the details thereof, district-wise?

## ANSWER

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

(a)  to  (c)  As  reported  by  States/  UTs,  State-wise  details  of  habitations  having  contaminants, including Arsenic and Iron, in drinking water sources are annexed.

To make provision of potable tap water supply in adequate quantity, of prescribed quality and on regular & long-term basis to every rural household in the country 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.

National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), an organization under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has informed that a study was conducted in 2008 by the All India Institute of Hygiene  &  Public  Health,  Kolkata  Dte.  GHS,  MOHFW  in  collaboration  with  the  School  of Tropical Medicine which highlighted the problems of high concentration of Arsenic in ground water  in  districts  of  South  24  Parganas  and  Malda  in  West  Bengal.  Technical  guidelines  for 'Detection,  Prevention  and  Management  of  Aresenicosis  in  India'  have  been  shared  with  the States affected by  Arsenicosis. IEC  materials  for  awareness  of  diseases  symptoms  and prevention of Arsenicosis, have also been shared with the affected States.

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.

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Annex Annex referred to in the reply to Lok Sabha unstarred Question No. 882 due for reply on

## 21.07.2022.

State-wise  number  of  habitations  having  contamination  in  drinking  water  sources  and details of 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