Lok Sabha Question No. 2606 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-03-17
Subject: Adverse Effect of Harmful Chemical Substance in Water
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Ramapati Ram Tripathi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI

## DEPARTMENT OF DRINKING WATER AND SANITATION

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2606 TO BE ANSWERED ON 17.03.2022

## ADVERSE EFFECT OF HARMFUL CHEMICAL SUBSTANCE IN WATER

## †2606. DR. RAMAPATI RAM TRIPATHI:

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  is  aware  that  ground  water  with  harmful  chemical  substance which adversely affects human health is being used for drinking across the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government has conducted any scientific study on this issue;
- (d) if so, the details thereof, State-wise and if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (e) the steps taken or proposed to be taken by the Government to ensure clean potable water to the citizens in coordination with various States?

## ANSWER

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

(a)  to  (e)  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-I. As reported by States/ UTs, State-wise details of habitations affected by Arsenic, Fluoride, Iron, Salinity, Nitrate & Heavy Metals are at Annex-II .

Central Ground Water Board generates ground water quality data on regional scale during various scientific studies and ground water monitoring  programme throughout the country. Data on ground water quality has been shared with concerned State Governments for taking remedial measures, awareness and monitoring of drinking water use.

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.

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.

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.

*****

Annex-I  referred  in  the  reply  to  Lok  Sabha  unstarred  Question  No.  2606  due  for reply on 17.03.2022

Acceptable limit and permissible limit 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 |

## Annex-II referred in the reply to Lok Sabha unstarred Question No. 2606 due for reply on 17.03.2022

## State-wise number of water quality-affected habitations and CWPPs installed in Arsenic and Fluoride affected habitations

| S. No.   | State/ UT         | 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   |
|----------|-------------------|------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|
|          |                   | Fluoride                                 | CWPP installed                           | Arsenic                                  | CWPP installed                           | Iron                                     | Salinity                                 | Nitrate                                  | Heavy metals                             |
| 1.       | Andhra Pradesh    | 86                                       | 86                                       | -                                        | -                                        | -                                        | 12                                       | 1                                        |                                          |
| 2.       | Arunachal Pradesh | -                                        | -                                        | -                                        | -                                        | 224                                      | -                                        | -                                        |                                          |
| 3.       | Assam             | -                                        | -                                        | 32                                       | 32                                       | 10,841                                   | -                                        | -                                        | 4                                        |
| 4.       | Bihar             | 1                                        | -                                        | 11                                       | 2                                        | 450                                      | -                                        | -                                        |                                          |
| 5.       | Chhattisgarh      | 154                                      | 31                                       | -                                        | -                                        | 30                                       | -                                        | -                                        |                                          |
| 6.       | Jharkhand         | 48                                       | 47                                       | 1                                        | 1                                        | 59                                       | -                                        | -                                        |                                          |
| 7.       | Kerala            | 5                                        | -                                        | -                                        | -                                        | 61                                       | 18                                       | 8                                        |                                          |
| 8.       | Madhya Pradesh    | 52                                       | -                                        | -                                        | -                                        | 20                                       | 7                                        | 2                                        |                                          |
| 9.       | Maharashtra       | 3                                        | -                                        | -                                        | -                                        | 6                                        | 34                                       | 7                                        |                                          |
| 10.      | Odisha            | 45                                       | -                                        | -                                        | -                                        | 2,031                                    | 30                                       | 6                                        |                                          |
| 11.      | Punjab            | 180                                      | 11                                       | 560                                      | 93                                       | 7                                        | -                                        | 19                                       | 112                                      |
| 12.      | Rajasthan         | 189                                      | 144                                      | -                                        | -                                        | 4                                        | 9,777                                    | 464                                      |                                          |
| 13.      | Tripura           | -                                        | -                                        | -                                        | -                                        | 1,079                                    | -                                        | -                                        |                                          |
| 14.      | Uttar Pradesh     | 41                                       | 39                                       | 107                                      | 107                                      | 281                                      | 79                                       | 10                                       |                                          |
| 15.      | Uttarakhand       | -                                        | -                                        | -                                        | -                                        | 2                                        | -                                        | 2                                        |                                          |
| 16.      | West Bengal       | 127                                      | 1                                        | 946                                      | 211                                      | 1,630                                    | 72                                       | -                                        | 67                                       |
| Total    | Total             | 931                                      | 359                                      | 1,657                                    | 446                                      | 16,725                                   | 10,029                                   | 519                                      | 183                                      |

Source: JJM-IMIS