Lok Sabha Question No. 1746 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-02-11
Subject: Arsenic and Fluoride affected Areas in Assam
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Badruddin Ajmal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI

## DEPARTMENT OF DRINKING WATER AND SANITATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1746 TO BE ANSWERED ON 11.02.2021

## Arsenic and Fluoride affected areas in Assam

## 1746. SHRI M. BADRUDDIN AJMAL:

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government is aware of the fact that there are many areas in Assam which are badly affected by Arsenic and Fluoride and if so, the details thereof;

(b) whether the Government has taken any step to provide clean drinking water to the people of these areas; and

(c) if so, the detail thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI (SHRI RATTAN LAL KATARIA)

(a)   As reported by the State, district-wise details of Arsenic and Fluoride-affected habitations in Assam, is annexed.

(b)  &  (c)  Government  of  India  in  partnership  with  States,  is  implementing  Jal  Jeevan Mission (JJM) to provide potable tap water supply to every rural household in the country by 2024.  Under  JJM,  while  planning  water  supply  schemes  to  provide  tap  water  supply  to households, priority is given to quality-affected habitations.

While allocating the funds under JJM to States/ UTs, 10% weightage is been given to the population residing in habitations affected by chemical contaminants including Arsenic and Fluoride.  In  2020-21,  allocation  of  funds  under  JJM  to  Assam  has  been  increased  to  Rs. 1,407.07 Crore from Rs. 694.34 Crore in 2019-20.

In  March  2017,  to  provide  potable  drinking  water  to  27,544  Arsenic/  Fluoride-affected habitations in the country, including 3,881 habitations of Assam,National Water Quality SubMission  (NWQSM)  was  launched,  which  has  now  been  subsumed  under  JJM.  For  this purpose, Rs. 530.96 crore has been released to Assam.

Since,  planning, implementation and commissioning of piped water supply schemes 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)  in  such  habitations  to provide potable water to every household at the rate of 8-10 litre per capita per day to meet their drinking and cooking requirements.

As  reported  by  the  State,  provision  of  potable  drinking  water  for  cooking  and  drinking purposes have been made in all Arsenic and Fluoride-affected habitations.

## Annex referred in the reply to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1746 due for reply on11.02.2021

## District-wise details of Arsenic and Fluoride-affected habitations in Assam (as on 09.02.2021)

| S. No.   | Name of the district   |   Number of Fluoride- affected habitations | Number of Arsenic- affected habitations   |
|----------|------------------------|--------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------|
| 1.       | Baksha                 |                                          0 | 343                                       |
| 2.       | Barpeta                |                                          0 | 171                                       |
| 3.       | Darrang                |                                          0 | 15                                        |
| 4.       | Dhemaji                |                                          0 | 49                                        |
| 5.       | Dhubri                 |                                          1 | 32                                        |
| 6.       | Golaghat               |                                          0 | 1                                         |
| 7.       | Jorhat                 |                                          0 | 27                                        |
| 8.       | Kamrup                 |                                          8 | 0                                         |
| 9.       | Karimganj              |                                          1 | 0                                         |
| 10.      | Kokrajhar              |                                          0 | 3                                         |
| 11.      | Lakhimpur              |                                          0 | 1                                         |
| 12.      | Majuli                 |                                          0 | 138                                       |
| 13.      | Nalbari                |                                          2 | 454                                       |
| 14.      | South SalmaraMancachar |                                          0 | 13                                        |
| Total    | Total                  |                                         12 | 1,247                                     |

[ Source: JJM - IMIS ]