Lok Sabha Question No. 3686 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-03-23
Subject: Potable Water Supply under JJM
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Margani Bharat, Geetha Viswanath Vanga

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI DEPARTMENT OF DRINKING WATER AND SANITATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3686 ANSWERED ON  23/03/2023

## POTABLE WATER SUPPLY UNDER JJM

## 3686.   SHRI MARGANI BHARAT: SHRIMATI VANGA GEETHA VISWANATH:

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

- (a) whether it is true that the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) intends to provide potable tap water supply to every rural household in the country by 2024;
- (b) if so, the steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to ensure supply of safe drinking water;
- (c) whether the Government proposes to increase the frequency of testing of drinking water sources from once a year for chemical and physical parameters and twice a  year for bacteriological parameters; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

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

(a) to (d) 'Water' being a state subject, planning, approval and implementation of drinking water supply schemes, lies with state/UT governments. Water Supply/ Water & Sanitation/ Public Health Engineering  Departments  and/or  parastatal  organization  of  respective  State  Government/  UT Administration, are responsible for making provision of water supply and ensuring quality of water supplied in their respective State/UT.

Government of India is implementing Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) - Har Ghar Jal, since August, 2019,  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.

Under JJM, while allocating the funds to States/ UTs, 10% weightage is given to the population residing in habitations affected by chemical contaminants. States/ UTs have been advised to plan and implement piped water supply schemes of bulk water transfer based on safe water sources such as surface water sources or alternative safe ground water sources for the villages with water quality issues.

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,  Bureau  of  Indian  Standards'  IS:10500 standard  is  to  be  adopted  for  ensuring  safe  drinking  water  supply.  And  States/UTs  have  been advised to undertake testing of water quality on a periodic basis i.e. once in year for chemical and physical parameters, and twice in a year for bacteriological parameters and take remedial action wherever necessary, to ensure that the water supplied to households is of prescribed quality.

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. As reported by States/UTs on WQMIS, more than 55.62 lakh water samples have been tested in the water testing laboratories and 91.12 lakh water samples using Field Testing Kits, during 2022-23. The State-wise details of water quality test reported through WQMIS are available in public domain on JJM Dashboard and can also be accessed at:

## https://ejalshakti.gov.in/WQMIS/Main/report

As reported by States/UTs, as on date, there are 2,078 drinking water quality testing laboratories at different levels viz. State, district, sub-division and/ or block level in the country. 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 from every village to conduct water quality testing using FTKs/ bacteriological vials at village level and report the same on the WQMIS portal. So far, as reported by states/UTs, about 20.02 lakh women have been trained.

In  consultation with various stakeholders, 'Drinking Water Quality Monitoring & Surveillance Framework'  has  been  released  for  guidance  to  States/  UT's  officials  and  local  village  level functionaries  to  expand  the  water  quality  testing  and  reporting,  surveillance  of  drinking  water sources, sanitary surveys, setting up of laboratories, etc. As per Drinking Water Quality Monitoring & Surveillance Framework, States/ UTs have been advised to undertake water quality testing using Field Test Kits (FTKs) at least once every month, at village level, for all drinking water source(s) as well as two delivery points at tail end.

Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation has launched 'Swatch Jal Sae Suraksha' Campaign from 2 nd October,2022 to 31 st March,2023 to ensure quality of drinking water. Under campaign, quality of water to be tested at Lab/ using FTKs for chemical and bacteriological parameters at village level. As on date, out of 6 lakh villages water quality testing has been reported in 5 lakh villages for chemical parameters and 3.96 lakh villages for bacteriological parameters.

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