Lok Sabha Question No. 3186 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-08-04
Subject: Per capita availability of Drinking Water
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Mansukhbhai Dhanjibhai Vasava

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3186

TO BE ANSWERED ON 04/08/2022

## PER CAPITA AVAILABILITY OF DRINKING WATER

## †3186. SHRI  MANSUKHBHAI  DHANJIBHAI VASAVA:

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

- (a)   whether per capita availability of drinking water is decreasing rapidly;
- (b)  if so, the details of per capita availability of drinking water during the last three years;
- (c)   whether the Government is aware of any other cause apart from high population as the main reason for decrease in per capita availability of water; and
- (d)  if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

(a)  to  (d)  Water  being  a  State  subject,  steps  for  augmentation,  conservation  and  efficient management of water resources, including rural drinking water supply, are primarily undertaken by  the  respective  State  Governments.  To  supplement  the  efforts  of  the  States  for  rural  water supply,  Jal  Jeevan  Mission  (JJM),  a  centrally  sponsored  scheme,  is  being  implemented  in partnership with States, since August, 2019 for provisioning of potable tap water supply to every rural household of the country, by 2024.

At the time of announcement of Jal Jeevan Mission, 3.23 Crore rural households were reported to have tap water connections. So far, 6.70 Crore households have been provided with tap water connections in last 35 months. Thus, as on 02.08.2022, out of 19.11 Crore rural households in the  country,  around  9.93  Crore  (51.96%) households  are  reported  to  have  tap  water  supply  in their homes. Further, as reported, out of around 16.99 lakh rural habitations in villages across the country, 16.73 lakh (98.46%) habitations have provision of potable drinking water with sources at a reasonable distance. However, 0.26 lakh (1.54%) rural habitations are reported to have water quality issues in drinking water sources.

Water availability per person (capita) is dependent on population of a country and the per capita water availability in the country is reducing due to increase in population. The average annual per capita water availability in the years 2001 and 2011 was assessed as 1816 cubic meters and 1545 cubic meters respectively which would have further reduced to 1486 cubic meters in the year 2021 as per projected population projections. Further, the average annual water availability of any region or country largely depends on hydro-meteorological and geological factors and the availability of drinking water in rural areas is also affected by many factors which include, inter alia, depletion of ground water level, contamination of surface water sources, drying up of ponds & wells, deficient rainfall leading to insufficient recharge of water bodies etc..

To  control  water  depletion  and  promote  rain  water  harvesting/  conservation,  details  of  major initiatives taken by the Government are available at:

http://jalshakti-dowr.gov.in/sites/default/files/Steps\_to\_control\_water\_depletion\_Feb2021.pdf

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