Lok Sabha Question No. 21 (STARRED), answered on 2022-12-08
Subject: Contaminated Drinking Water
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Balak Nath, Ranjeeta Koli

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

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. †*21

TO BE ANSWERED ON - 08.12.2022

## CONTAMINATED DRINKING WATER

## †*21. SHRI BALAK NATH:

## SHRIMATI RANJEETA KOLI:

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

- (a) the  number  of  persons  falling  victim  to  the  health  hazards  caused  by  drinking  water contaminated with higher levels of Arsenic, Fluoride, Iron, Salinity and Nitrates in the State of Rajasthan, district-wise;
- (b) whether  any  steps  have  been  taken  by  the  Government  in  this  regard  and  if  so,  the details thereof;
- (c) whether  the  Government  proposes  to  improve  the  water  harvesting  infrastructure  in order to raise water table in Rajasthan; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF JAL SHAKTI (SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT)

- (a) to (d) A Statement of reply is laid on the Table of the House.

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## Statement referred to in the  reply to Lok Sabha Starred Question No.  †*21 due for reply on 08.12.2022

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.Water safety has been one of the key priorities under the JJM since its inception. However, 'water' being a state subject planning, approval and implementation of drinking water supply schemes, lies with state/UT governments.

As per existing JJM guidelines, IS:10500 is to be adopted for ensuring safe drinking water supply. Following measures have been taken under JJM to facilitate action on water quality aspects at state level -

- While allocating the funds to States/ UTs, 10% weightage is given to the population residing in habitations affected by chemical contaminants.
- The 'Drinking Water Quality Monitoring & Surveillance Framework' was devised and disseminated to states in October 2021.
- To facilitate  implementation  of  the  above  said  Framework,  more  than  2000  water quality  testing  laboratories  have  been  set  up  in  the  country.  Besides  this,  five persons, preferably women are identified and trained from every village for testing the  water  samples  through  Field  Test  Kits  (FTKs)  and  so  far,  15.18  lakh  women have been trained.
- 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.
- Under JJM, while planning for potable water supply to household through tap water connection, priority is given to quality-affected habitations. Since, planning, implementation and commissioning of piped water supply scheme based on a safe water  source  takes  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.
- To encourage water quality testing to ensure potable drinking water supply, States/ UTs  have  also  been  advised  to  open  water  quality  testing  laboratories  to  general public for testing of their water samples.

States/UTs  have  been  directed  to  undertake  testing  of  water  quality  on  a  periodic basis  and  take  remedial  action  wherever  necessary,  to  ensure  that  the  water  supplied  to households  is  of  prescribed  quality  standards  (BIS:10500).  As  a  result  of  the  abovementioned efforts, as reported by States/UTs, more than 23.21 lakh water samples have been tested in the water testing laboratories and 51.72 lakh water samples through the Field Testing Kits, in 2022-23 alone. 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://ejalshakti.gov.in/WQMIS/

As reported by the Government of Rajasthan, the district-wise detail of qualityaffected habitations is Annexed. The details regarding persons having health hazard due to contaminated drinking water is not maintained centrally.

Regarding  improvement  in  Rain  Water  Harvesting  infrastructure,  during  2021-22, the  Central  Ground  Water  Board(CGWB)  has  taken  up  the  project  on  'Groundwater augmentation  through  artificial  recharge  in  identified  water  stressed  areas  of  Rajasthan, comprising Jodhpur, Jaisalmer & Sikar districts of Rajasthan. The structures include check dams, anicuts and recharge shaft with ponds.Further, the Master Plan for Artificial Recharge to Groundwater- 2020 has been prepared by CGWB in consultation with States/UTs which is a macro level plan indicating various structures for the different terrain conditions of the country including Rajasthan. As per Master Plan 2020 of Rajasthan an area of 113498.00 sq.km identified for Artificial Recharge.

Also, in 2019, Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA) was conducted to bring awareness on various aspects of water conservation and promote rain water harvesting and artificial recharge  in  256  water  stressed  districts  and  was  expanded  to  the  whole  country  in 2021.'Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain' (JSA: CTR) - 2022 campaign, the third in the series of JSAs, has been launched on 29.3.2022 to cover all the blocks of all districts across the country including all districts of Rajasthan. As per the information available on the JSA:  CTR  portal,  total  number  of  water  conservation  and  rainwater  harvesting structures completed/ ongoing in the State in Rajasthan under JSA:CTR 2021 is 1.28 lakh and under JSA:CTR 2022 is 0.67 lakh

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## Annex as referred in the reply of Lok Sabha Starred Question No.†*21 due for reply on 08.12.2022

## District -wise number of water quality-affected habitations in Rajasthan (as on 05.12.2022)

| S. No   | District       | 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   |
|---------|----------------|------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|
| S. No   | District       | Fluoride-affected                        | Fluoride-affected                        | Arsenic- affected                        | Iron- affected                           | Salinity- affected                       | Nitrate- affected                        |
| S. No   | District       | Total No.                                | Covered with CWPP                        | Arsenic- affected                        | Iron- affected                           | Salinity- affected                       | Nitrate- affected                        |
| 1.      | Alwar          | 66                                       | 66                                       | -                                        | -                                        | 30                                       | 1                                        |
| 2.      | Banswara       | 11                                       | -                                        | -                                        | -                                        | 1                                        | 5                                        |
| 3.      | Baran          | -                                        | -                                        | -                                        | -                                        | 2                                        | 1                                        |
| 4.      | Barmer         | 9                                        | 9                                        | -                                        | -                                        | 8,569                                    | 4                                        |
| 5.      | Bharatpur      | -                                        | -                                        | -                                        | -                                        | 438                                      | 6                                        |
| 6.      | Bhilwara       | 1                                        | 1                                        | -                                        | -                                        | 7                                        | 9                                        |
| 7.      | Bikaner        | 1                                        | 1                                        | -                                        | -                                        | 14                                       | 84                                       |
| 8.      | Bundi          | -                                        | -                                        | -                                        | -                                        | 37                                       | 22                                       |
| 9.      | Chittaurgarh   | 1                                        | 1                                        | -                                        | 1                                        | 36                                       | 34                                       |
| 10.     | Dausa          | 15                                       | 10                                       | -                                        | -                                        | 6                                        | 18                                       |
| 11.     | Dhaulpur       | -                                        | -                                        | -                                        | -                                        | 1                                        | -                                        |
| 12.     | Dungarpur      | -                                        | -                                        | -                                        | -                                        | 1                                        | 17                                       |
| 13.     | Hanumangarh    | -                                        | -                                        | -                                        | -                                        | 3                                        | -                                        |
| 14.     | Jaipur         | -                                        | -                                        | -                                        | -                                        | 16                                       | 3                                        |
| 15.     | Jaisalmer      | 28                                       | 28                                       | -                                        | 1                                        | 2                                        | 15                                       |
| 16.     | Jhunjhunun     | 4                                        | 4                                        | -                                        | -                                        | 4                                        | 4                                        |
| 17.     | Jodhpur        | 22                                       | 22                                       | -                                        | -                                        | 504                                      | 55                                       |
| 18.     | Karauli        | -                                        | -                                        | -                                        | -                                        | 19                                       | 7                                        |
| 19.     | Kota           | -                                        | -                                        | -                                        | 2                                        | 16                                       | 9                                        |
| 20.     | Nagaur         | -                                        | -                                        | -                                        | -                                        | 2                                        | 8                                        |
| 21.     | Pali           | 24                                       | 9                                        | -                                        | -                                        | 4                                        | 23                                       |
| 22.     | Pratapgarh     | -                                        | -                                        | -                                        | -                                        | 1                                        | 103                                      |
| 23.     | Rajsamand      | -                                        | -                                        | -                                        | -                                        | 2                                        | 10                                       |
| 24.     | Sawai Madhopur | 2                                        | -                                        | -                                        | -                                        | 9                                        | 3                                        |
| 25.     | Sikar          | 2                                        | 2                                        | -                                        | -                                        | 7                                        | 9                                        |
| 26.     | Tonk           | 2                                        | -                                        | -                                        | -                                        | -                                        | -                                        |
| 27.     | Udaipur        | -                                        | -                                        | -                                        | -                                        | 39                                       | 13                                       |

Source: JJM-IMIS