Lok Sabha Question No. 1391 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-02-10
Subject: Diseases caused by Arsenic Contamination
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Arun Kumar Sagar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1391 TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.02.2023

## DISEASES CAUSED BY ARSENIC CONTAMINATION

## 1391.  SHRI ARUN KUMAR SAGAR:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is aware of the fact that there is a sharp increase in diseases caused  by  arsenic  contamination  in  the  country  particularly  in  backward  and  rural areas;
- (b) if  so,  whether  the  Government  proposes  to  take  concrete  steps  with  the  help  of  the foreign health experts/organisations for alleviation of diseases spreading due to arsenic contamination;
- (c) if so, the details thereof;
- (d) the  financial  assistance  provided  by  the  Government  to  the  States  for  the  purpose during the last three years, year-wise;
- (e) whether the State  Governments have sought  additional  allocation  of  funds  from  the Union Government in this regard; and
- (f) if so, the details thereof and the action taken by the Government thereon?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (DR. BHARATI PRAVIN PAWAR)

(a) to (f):

Provision  of  safe  drinking  water  and  health  services  falls  within  the  remit  of  the States/UTs Governments However, the Government of India has taken several steps for alleviation of diseases spreading due to arsenic contamination as follows:

-  Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) - Har Ghar Jal , has been implemented by Ministry of Jal  Shakti  in  partnership  with  States,  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. ( Source: Ministry of Jal Shakti )

-  Under Jal Jeevan Mission, States/ UTs have been advised to plan and implement piped water supply schemes of bulk water transfer and is also advised to install community water purification plants (CWPPs) especially in Arsenic and Fluoride affected  habitations  to  provide  potable  water  to  every  household.    ( Source: Ministry of Jal Shakti)
-  Under the National Aquifer Mapping Programme (NAQUIM) of Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), special attention is  given to  the aspect  of  ground  water quality  including  contamination  by  toxic  substances  such  as  Arsenic  in  ground water. Further, under NAQUIM, CGWB constructs arsenic safe exploratory wells in arsenic affected parts of the States of West Bengal, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. The arsenic safe deeper aquifer zones have been identified and wells have been constructed  tapping  the  arsenic  safe  deeper  aquifers  using  innovative  cement sealing  technique.    So  far,  513  exploratory  wells  tapping  arsenic  safe  aquifers have been constructed under NAQUIM programme including 40 in Bihar, 188 in West Bengal and 285 in Uttar Pradesh. In addition, the innovative cement sealing technique of CGWB has been shared with the state agencies to utilize to construct arsenic free wells. ( Source: Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Ministry of Jal Shakti)
-  Under The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has made a comprehensive programme on water pollution for controlling point sources by developing industry specific standards and general standards for discharge  of  effluents.  ( Source: Central  Pollution  Control  Board,  Ministry  of Environment, Forest and Climate Change)
-  A Comprehensive Ground Water Conservation Plan is prepared by Ministry of Jal Shakti  for  optimum  usage  of  ground  water  and  measures  to  harvest  water  to improve  ground  water  charging.  Actions  are  proposed  for  strict  action  against illegal extraction of ground water. ( Source: Ministry of Jal Shakti)

Also, based on the assessment of ground water quality, wherever concentration of Fluoride, Arsenic and other Heavy Metals were found exceeding Bureau of Indian

Drinking  Water  Standards,  concerned  States/  UTs  were  requested  to  direct concerned State Depts. to take actions such as:

- o Sealing of hand pumps/ wells having contaminated ground water
- o Display  sign  board  indicating  (Not  Fit  for  Drinking  Water  purposes)  in vernacular language.
- o Arrangement of alternate drinking water supply in the affected areas.

Under National  Health  Mission  (NHM)  funds  are  released  to  States/UTs  under flexible pools on a lump sum basis to provide greater flexibility to States/UTs to utilize the funds as per their felt need and priorities. The States/UTs wise release under Flexible Pool for Non - Communicable Disease (NCD) Programme under NHM during the period from the Financial Year 2019-20 to 2021-22 is annexed.

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| States/UTs wise Central Releases under Flexible Pool for Non-Communicable Diseases under NHMfrom the FY 2019-20 to 2021-22   | States/UTs wise Central Releases under Flexible Pool for Non-Communicable Diseases under NHMfrom the FY 2019-20 to 2021-22   | States/UTs wise Central Releases under Flexible Pool for Non-Communicable Diseases under NHMfrom the FY 2019-20 to 2021-22   | States/UTs wise Central Releases under Flexible Pool for Non-Communicable Diseases under NHMfrom the FY 2019-20 to 2021-22   | States/UTs wise Central Releases under Flexible Pool for Non-Communicable Diseases under NHMfrom the FY 2019-20 to 2021-22   |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| S. No.                                                                                                                       | Name of the States/UTs                                                                                                       | 2019-20                                                                                                                      | 2020-21                                                                                                                      | 2021-22                                                                                                                      |
| 1                                                                                                                            | Andaman &Nicobar Islands                                                                                                     | 1.30                                                                                                                         | 0.38                                                                                                                         | 0.71                                                                                                                         |
| 2                                                                                                                            | Andhra Pradesh                                                                                                               | 38.78                                                                                                                        | 43.86                                                                                                                        | 4.22                                                                                                                         |
| 3                                                                                                                            | Arunachal Pradesh                                                                                                            | 12.42                                                                                                                        | 0.00                                                                                                                         | 3.32                                                                                                                         |
| 4                                                                                                                            | Assam                                                                                                                        | 30.37                                                                                                                        | 0.00                                                                                                                         | 20.97                                                                                                                        |
| 5                                                                                                                            | Bihar                                                                                                                        | 4.23                                                                                                                         | 0.00                                                                                                                         | 7.76                                                                                                                         |
| 6                                                                                                                            | Chandigarh                                                                                                                   | 0.32                                                                                                                         | 0.59                                                                                                                         | 0.19                                                                                                                         |
| 7                                                                                                                            | Chhattisgarh                                                                                                                 | 5.16                                                                                                                         | 0.00                                                                                                                         | 3.85                                                                                                                         |
| 8                                                                                                                            | Dadra &Nagar Haveli                                                                                                          | 0.43                                                                                                                         | 0.74                                                                                                                         | 0.22                                                                                                                         |
| 9                                                                                                                            | Daman &Diu                                                                                                                   | 0.25                                                                                                                         |                                                                                                                              |                                                                                                                              |
| 10                                                                                                                           | Delhi                                                                                                                        | 2.69                                                                                                                         | 0.00                                                                                                                         | 2.70                                                                                                                         |
| 11                                                                                                                           | Goa                                                                                                                          | 0.11                                                                                                                         | 0.00                                                                                                                         | 0.39                                                                                                                         |
| 12                                                                                                                           | Gujarat                                                                                                                      | 29.60                                                                                                                        | 15.01                                                                                                                        | 23.12                                                                                                                        |
| 13                                                                                                                           | Haryana                                                                                                                      | 10.46                                                                                                                        | 0.00                                                                                                                         | 6.24                                                                                                                         |
| 14                                                                                                                           | Himachal Pradesh                                                                                                             | 1.76                                                                                                                         | 0.00                                                                                                                         | 9.22                                                                                                                         |
| 15                                                                                                                           | Jammu &Kashmir                                                                                                               | 14.96                                                                                                                        | 12.41                                                                                                                        | 5.36                                                                                                                         |
| 16                                                                                                                           | Jharkhand                                                                                                                    | 31.27                                                                                                                        | 0.00                                                                                                                         | 8.08                                                                                                                         |
| 17                                                                                                                           | Karnataka                                                                                                                    | 43.40                                                                                                                        | 49.79                                                                                                                        | 28.45                                                                                                                        |
| 18                                                                                                                           | Kerala                                                                                                                       | 10.81                                                                                                                        | 23.32                                                                                                                        | 7.51                                                                                                                         |
| 19                                                                                                                           | Lakshadweep                                                                                                                  | 0.01                                                                                                                         | 0.10                                                                                                                         | 0.04                                                                                                                         |
| 20                                                                                                                           | Madhya Pradesh                                                                                                               | 58.75                                                                                                                        | 25.18                                                                                                                        | 38.94                                                                                                                        |
| 21                                                                                                                           | Maharashtra                                                                                                                  | 53.55                                                                                                                        | 26.56                                                                                                                        | 26.20                                                                                                                        |
| 22                                                                                                                           | Manipur                                                                                                                      | 10.81                                                                                                                        | 3.41                                                                                                                         | 2.05                                                                                                                         |
| 23                                                                                                                           | Meghalaya                                                                                                                    | 0.00                                                                                                                         | 0.00                                                                                                                         | 2.64                                                                                                                         |
| 24                                                                                                                           | Mizoram                                                                                                                      | 3.14                                                                                                                         | 1.30                                                                                                                         | 1.73                                                                                                                         |
| 25                                                                                                                           | Nagaland                                                                                                                     | 5.26                                                                                                                         | 0.00                                                                                                                         | 1.15                                                                                                                         |
| 26                                                                                                                           | Odisha                                                                                                                       | 45.90                                                                                                                        | 0.00                                                                                                                         | 4.85                                                                                                                         |
| 27                                                                                                                           | Puducherry                                                                                                                   | 1.27                                                                                                                         | 0.50                                                                                                                         | 0.57                                                                                                                         |
| 28                                                                                                                           | Punjab                                                                                                                       | 11.15                                                                                                                        | 5.90                                                                                                                         | 4.38                                                                                                                         |
| 29                                                                                                                           | Rajasthan                                                                                                                    | 30.67                                                                                                                        | 0.00                                                                                                                         | 25.50                                                                                                                        |
| 30                                                                                                                           | Sikkim                                                                                                                       | 0.47                                                                                                                         | 0.00                                                                                                                         | 0.29                                                                                                                         |
| 31                                                                                                                           | Tamil Nadu                                                                                                                   | 30.27                                                                                                                        | 54.00                                                                                                                        | 30.31                                                                                                                        |
| 32                                                                                                                           | Tripura                                                                                                                      | 1.07                                                                                                                         | 0.00                                                                                                                         | 1.88                                                                                                                         |
| 33                                                                                                                           | Uttar Pradesh                                                                                                                | 138.67                                                                                                                       | 51.08                                                                                                                        | 52.27                                                                                                                        |
| 34                                                                                                                           | Uttarakhand                                                                                                                  | 9.51                                                                                                                         | 0.00                                                                                                                         | 1.96                                                                                                                         |
| 35                                                                                                                           | West Bengal                                                                                                                  | 18.34                                                                                                                        | 17.62                                                                                                                        | 26.10                                                                                                                        |
| 36                                                                                                                           | Telangana                                                                                                                    | 13.70                                                                                                                        | 29.15                                                                                                                        | 9.58                                                                                                                         |
| 37                                                                                                                           | Ladakh                                                                                                                       | -                                                                                                                            | 3.45                                                                                                                         | 1.35                                                                                                                         |