Lok Sabha Question No. 784 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-07
Subject: Quality of Drinking Water
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Poonamben Hematbhai Maadam

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-784

ANSWERED ON-07.12.2023

## QUALITY OF DRINKING WATER

## 784. SHRIMATI POONAMBEN MAADAM:

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI  be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has taken any steps to monitor the quality of drinking water and if so, the details thereof;

(b)  whether  the  Government  has  carried  out  periodic  tests  to  ascertain  the  quality  of  water  in industrial regions and if so, the details thereof; and

(c)  whether  the  Government  has  taken  the  steps  to  tackle  possible  health  hazards  due  to contaminated water used for drinking and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI

## (SHRI PRAHLAD SINGH PATEL)

(a) to (c) The 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 a regular & long-term basis to every rural household. States/ UTs have been advised to plan and implement piped water supply schemes based on alternative safe water sources for all the villages with water quality issues.

As per operational guidelines of Jal Jeevan Mission, all States/UTs have been advised to carry out testing of water quality on a periodic basis, i.e. once in a year for chemical parameters, and twice in a year for bacteriological parameters. The Guidelines also provide remedial action is taken wherever necessary, to prevent the use of contaminated water for drinking and thereby, to tackle possible health hazards due to such use.

Furthermore, for assured delivery of safe water,  strengthening, up-gradation, and improving the functioning of drinking water quality testing laboratories technical and financial support is being given under JJM. As reported by the States/ UTs, as on 05.12.2023, there are 2,111 drinking water quality testing laboratories at different levels viz. State, District, sub-division and/ or block level in the country. Out of 2,111 laboratories, 1,324 laboratories have been National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) accredited/ recognized.

In  order to  empower the communities to monitor the water quality, States/ UTs have also been advised to identify and train 5 persons, preferably women, in every village to conduct water quality testing using Field Testing Kits (FTKs)/ bacteriological vials at village level and report the same on the  WQMIS portal. So far, as reported by States/UTs, more than  23.34 lakh women have been trained for testing water using FTKs.

To enable States/ UTs to monitor the quality of drinking water, an online JJM - Water Quality Management Information System (WQMIS) portal has been developed where the water samples can  be  registered,  the  results  of  the  tests  can  be  uploaded,  and  shared  with  the  concerned stakeholders.  In  case  of  contamination,  an  alert  is  generated,  and  the  concern  authority  has  to undertake remedial action.

As a result of the above-mentioned efforts, as reported by States/UTs, since the launch of JJM, year-wise, testing of water quality samples in the laboratories has increased from around 39.15 lakh samples in 2018-19 to more than 62 lakh samples in 2022-23. Similarly, testing of water quality using FTKs has increased from around 11.01 lakh samples in 2018-19 to 1.07 crore water samples during 2022-23. During 2023-24, as on 05.12.2023, 49.53 lakh samples in labs and 80.94 lakh samples using FTKs have been tested for drinking water quality through the WQMIS portal.

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