Lok Sabha Question No. 2697 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-03-17
Subject: Water Supply under JJM
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Subhash Chandra Baheria

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2697

TO BE ANSWERED ON 17/03/2022

## WATER SUPPLY UNDER JJM

## †2697. SHRI SUBHASH CHANDRA BAHERIA:

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

- (a)   the number of  households benefitted so far in Rajasthan under Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM);
- (b)  the number and names of sources through which water is being supplied to the households under JJM;
- (c)   whether ground water sources are being used by the households;
- (d)  if so, whether any proper and adequate arrangements have been made for the recharge and purification of ground water and if so, the details thereof;
- (e)   the arrangement made for the setting up, operation, maintenance of useful plants and quality control of drinking water; and
- (f)   whether any arrangement has been made to upgrade the knowledge of technical workers for water purification and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

(a)  Since  August,  2019,  Government  of  India  in  partnership  with  States  is  implementing  Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) to make provision of potable tap water supply to every rural household of the country by 2024.

At the time of announcement of Jal Jeevan Mission, 11.74 lakh (11.11%) rural households in the State  of  Rajasthan  were  reported  to  have  tap  water  connections.  As  reported,  12.39  lakh (11.72%) rural households have been provided with tap water connections in last two and  half years. Thus, as of date, out of 105.69 lakh rural households in Rajasthan, 24.13 lakh (22.83%) households are reported to have tap water supply in their homes.

(b)  to  (f)  Jal  Jeevan  Mission  is  being  implemented  as  a  decentralized,  demand-driven  and community-managed programme, wherein the Gram Panchayat and/ or its sub-committee/ user group i.e. Village Water & Sanitation Committee (VWSC)/ Pani Samiti are being empowered to plan, implement, manage, operate and maintain in-village water supply system to provide regular and assured tap water supply in rural households.

The  water  sources inter  alia which  include  groundwater  (open  well,  borewell,  tube  well, handpumps, etc.), ancient & traditional surface water (river, reservoir, lake, pond, springs, etc.) and rain water stored in small tanks are being used as sources for drinking water supply schemes. As such details of individual projects/ schemes for rural water supply projects including water source for scheme are not maintained at the Government of India level.

Under JJM, provisions have been made for drinking water source development/ strengthening/ augmentation; and infrastructure for bulk transfer of water, treatment and distribution systems in water  deficit  drought-prone  and  desert  areas  without  dependable  ground  water  sources,  apart from creation of in-village water supply infrastructure.

In addition, provisions for taking up augmentation and strengthening of local & ancient drinking water sources in convergence with other schemes at village level viz. MGNREGS, 15th Finance Commission  tied  grants  to  Rural  Local  Bodies  (RLBs),  Integrated  Watershed  Management Programme (IWMP), State schemes, District Mineral Development Fund, CSR  funds, community contribution, etc. have also been envisaged under the JJM.

Further, important measures taken by the Central Government for conservation, management of ground water and effective implementation of rain water harvesting in the country are available in public domain at:

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

As per existing guidelines, BIS 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

This  portal  also  provides  automated  alerts  to  concerned  authorities  in  States/  UTs,  if  the watersample  tested is contaminated,  to initiate remedial actions. States/ UTs  have  also beenadvised  to  identify  and  train  5  persons  preferably  women  in  each  village  viz.  ASHA workers,health  workers,  VWSC  members,  teachers,  etc.  to  conduct  water  quality  tests  using FTKs/bacteriological vials at village level and report the same on the portal.

Further, to encourage water quality testing to ensure potable drinking water supply, States/ UTs havebeen advised to open water quality testing laboratories to general public at a nominal rate fortesting of their water samples.

Under  JJM,  upto  2%  of  the  allocation  to  States/  UTs  can  be  utilized  for  Water  Quality Monitoring & Surveillance (WQM&S) activities inter alia which includes activities like setting up and strengthening of water quality testing laboratories, procurement of equipment, instruments,  chemicals,  glassware,  consumables,  hiring  of  skilled  manpower,  surveillance  by community using field test kits(FTKs), awareness generation, educational programmes on water quality, NABL accreditation/ recognition of laboratories, etc.

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