Lok Sabha Question No. 2016 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-14
Subject: Data of Drinking Water Contamination
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Kanakmal Katara, Rajendra Dhedya  Gavit

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI

## DEPARTMENT OF DRINKING WATER AND SANITATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2016

TO BE ANSWERED ON - 14.12.2023

## DATA OF DRINKING WATER CONTAMINATION

## †2016. Shri Kanakmal Katara:

Shri Rajendra Dhedya Gavit:

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

(a)  the  methodology  adopted  by  the  Government  under  Integrated  Management Information  System  to  compile  data  of  the  persons  affected  by  drinking  water contaminated with Arsenic, Fluoride and Mercury across the country including those in the State of Rajasthan;

(b) whether there exists any system in the Ministry meant for the physical verification of such data;

(c) if so, the details thereof, State-wise;

(d) if not, the reasons therefor; and

(e)  the  details  of  the  households  facilitated  with  safe  drinking  water  that  have  been affected due to the contamination of drinking water with arsenic, fluoride and mercury during the last three years, State/UT-wise?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI

## (SHRI RAJEEV CHANDRASEKHAR)

( a) to (e) Government of India is committed to make provision for safe & potable tap water supply in adequate quantity, of prescribed quality and on a regular & long-term basis to all rural households in the country. Towards this end, the Government of India launched the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), being implemented in partnership with states, since August 2019.

The Department has developed a web based integrated management information system (JJMIMIS) to capture the data of water quality affected habitations, where States/UTs provide status of habitation that have contamination in their ground water sources including those in the State of Rajasthan. As per JJM-IMIS none of the States/ UTs have reported any habitation to be affected by mercury contamination.

For the provision of safe water to households, significant progress has been made in the country since the launch of Jal Jeevan Mission. At the start of Jal Jeevan Mission in August 2019, only

3.23 Crore rural households were reported to have tap water connection. So far, as reported by States/  UTs  as  on  13.12.2023,  around  10.56  Crore  additional  rural  households  have  been provided with tap water connections under JJM. Thus, as on 13.12.2023, out of 19.24 Crore rural households in the country, about 13.80 Crore (71.72%) households are reported to have tap water supply in their homes.

Under JJM, while allocating the funds to States/ UTs, 10% weightage is given to the population residing in habitations affected by chemical contaminants (includes Arsenic affected habitations). States/ UTs have been advised to plan and implement piped water supply schemes based on alternative safe water sources for the villages with water quality issues on priority.

It  was  envisaged  that  planning,  implementation  and  commissioning  of  piped  water  supply scheme based on a safe water source in such habitations may take time, therefore, 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 to meet their drinking and cooking requirements. The details of habitations affected  with  Arsenic,  Fluoride  as  on  13.12.2023  and  status  of  CWPP  provided  in  such habitations is provided in Annex I.

The details of the habitations facilitated with safe drinking water that have been affected due to the contamination of drinking water with arsenic, Fluoride during the last three years, State/UTwise have been Annex II.

Drinking  Water  is  a  state  subject,  and  hence,  the  responsibility  of  planning,  approval, implementation, operation, and maintenance of drinking water supply schemes, including those under  the  Jal  Jeevan  Mission,  lies  with  State/UT  Governments.  The  Government  of  India supports the States by providing technical and financial assistance. A number of steps have been taken to ensure to maintain the quality of the data, which includes joint discussion and finalization  of  annual  action  plan  (AAP)  of  States/  UTs,  regular  review  of  implementation, workshops/ conferences/ webinars for capacity building and knowledge sharing, field visits by multi-disciplinary team to provide technical support, etc. The data of habitations affected with chemical contamination, status of testing is provided in public domain and can be accessed using weblink:   https://ejalshakti.gov.in/jjmreport/JJMIndia.aspx

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## Annex-I

## Annex referred to in Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 2016 to be answered on 14.12.2023

State/ UT-wise number of Arsenic/ Fluoride-affected habitations (as on 13/12/2023)

| S. No.   | State/ UT   | Number of habitations   | Number of habitations   | Number of habitations   | Number of habitations   |
|----------|-------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|          |             | Fluoride                | Covered with CWPP       | Arsenic                 | Covered with CWPP       |
| 1.       | Jharkhand   | 2                       | 2                       | -                       | -                       |
| 2.       | Kerala      | 4                       | 4                       | -                       | -                       |
| 3.       | Odisha      | 20                      | 20                      | -                       | -                       |
| 4.       | Punjab      | 176                     | 176                     | 319                     | 319                     |
| 5.       | Rajasthan   | 112                     | 112                     | -                       | -                       |
| 6.       | West Bengal | 37                      | 37                      | 59                      | 59                      |
| Total    | Total       | 351                     | 351                     | 378                     | 378                     |

Note: Safe water for drinking and cooking purposes, to the extent of 8-10 liters per capita per day is being made available if all of the above habitations through the Community Water Purification Plants (CWPPs)

## Annex-II

Annex referred to in Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 2016 to be answered on 14.12.2023

State/ UT-wise number of Arsenic-affected habitations and population

| S. No.   | State         | No. of Arsenic-affected habitations and population as on   | No. of Arsenic-affected habitations and population as on   | No. of Arsenic-affected habitations and population as on   | No. of Arsenic-affected habitations and population as on   | No. of Arsenic-affected habitations and population as on   | No. of Arsenic-affected habitations and population as on   | No. of Arsenic-affected habitations and population as on   | No. of Arsenic-affected habitations and population as on   |
|----------|---------------|------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------|
|          |               | 01.04.21                                                   | 01.04.21                                                   | 01.04.22                                                   | 01.04.22                                                   | 01.04.23                                                   | 01.04.23                                                   | 13.12.23                                                   | 13.12.23                                                   |
|          |               | Habitation                                                 | Population                                                 | Habitation                                                 | Population                                                 | Habitation                                                 | Population                                                 | Habitation                                                 | Population                                                 |
| 1.       | Assam         | 32                                                         | 12,704                                                     | -                                                          |                                                            | -                                                          |                                                            | -                                                          |                                                            |
| 2.       | Bihar         | 11                                                         | 27,560                                                     | -                                                          |                                                            | -                                                          |                                                            | -                                                          |                                                            |
| 3.       | Jharkhand     | 1                                                          | 75                                                         | -                                                          |                                                            | -                                                          |                                                            | -                                                          |                                                            |
| 4.       | Punjab        | 567                                                        | 6,80,010                                                   | 560                                                        | 6,74,047                                                   | 323                                                        | 3,34,852                                                   | 319                                                        | 3,28,708                                                   |
| 5.       | Uttar Pradesh | 124                                                        | 1,77,840                                                   | 107                                                        | 1,63,965                                                   | 89                                                         | 1,42,670                                                   | -                                                          |                                                            |
| 6.       | West Bengal   | 982                                                        | 14,39,739                                                  | 133                                                        | 1,38,252                                                   | 95                                                         | 88,288                                                     | 59                                                         | 64,080                                                     |
|          | Total         | 1,717                                                      | 23,37,928                                                  | 800                                                        | 9,76,264                                                   | 507                                                        | 5,65,810                                                   | 378                                                        | 3,92,788                                                   |

Source: JJM-IMIS accessed on 13.12.2023

Note: Safe water for drinking and cooking purposes, to the extent of 8-10 liters per capita per day is being made available if all of the above habitations through the Community Water Purification Plants (CWPPs)

## Annex II contd.

Annex referred to in Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 2016 to be answered on 14.12.2023 State-wise number of Fluoride-affected habitations and population

| S. No.   | State          | No. of Fluoride affected habitations and population as on   | No. of Fluoride affected habitations and population as on   | No. of Fluoride affected habitations and population as on   | No. of Fluoride affected habitations and population as on   | No. of Fluoride affected habitations and population as on   | No. of Fluoride affected habitations and population as on   | No. of Fluoride affected habitations and population as on   | No. of Fluoride affected habitations and population as on   |
|----------|----------------|-------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------|
|          |                | 01.04.21                                                    | 01.04.21                                                    | 01.04.22                                                    | 01.04.22                                                    | 01.04.23                                                    | 01.04.23                                                    | 13.12.23                                                    | 13.12.23                                                    |
|          |                | Habitation                                                  | Population                                                  | Habitation                                                  | Population                                                  | Habitation                                                  | Population                                                  | Habitation                                                  | Population                                                  |
| 1.       | Andhra Pradesh | 86                                                          | 40,358                                                      | -                                                           |                                                             | -                                                           |                                                             | -                                                           |                                                             |
| 2.       | Bihar          | 1                                                           | 699                                                         | -                                                           |                                                             | -                                                           |                                                             | -                                                           |                                                             |
| 3.       | Chhattisgarh   | 154                                                         | 61,430                                                      | 159                                                         | 47,255                                                      | -                                                           |                                                             | -                                                           |                                                             |
| 4.       | Haryana        | 1                                                           | 1543                                                        | -                                                           |                                                             | -                                                           |                                                             | -                                                           |                                                             |
| 5.       | Jharkhand      | 49                                                          | 23572                                                       | 2                                                           | 1155                                                        | 2                                                           | 1155                                                        | 2                                                           | 1155                                                        |
| 6.       | Kerala         | 5                                                           | 9442                                                        | 5                                                           | 9442                                                        | 4                                                           | 7543                                                        | 4                                                           | 7543                                                        |
| 7.       | Madhya Pradesh | 75                                                          | 58745                                                       | 1                                                           | 1004                                                        | -                                                           |                                                             | -                                                           |                                                             |
| 8.       | Maharashtra    | 3                                                           | 1569                                                        | 3                                                           | 1557                                                        | -                                                           |                                                             | -                                                           |                                                             |
| 9.       | Odisha         | 46                                                          | 13831                                                       | 41                                                          | 12992                                                       | 31                                                          | 8713                                                        | 20                                                          | 6888                                                        |
| 10.      | Punjab         | 180                                                         | 2,11,478                                                    | 182                                                         | 2,12,694                                                    | 176                                                         | 206485                                                      | 176                                                         | 206485                                                      |
| 11.      | Rajasthan      | 237                                                         | 1,56,036                                                    | 165                                                         | 107735                                                      | 113                                                         | 70797                                                       | 112                                                         | 67780                                                       |
| 12.      | Uttar Pradesh  | 53                                                          | 73,764                                                      | 38                                                          | 45800                                                       | 27                                                          | 39479                                                       | -                                                           |                                                             |
| 13.      | West Bengal    | 131                                                         | 1,19,651                                                    | 42                                                          | 39294                                                       | 40                                                          | 43940                                                       | 37                                                          | 41394                                                       |
| Total    | Total          | 1,021                                                       | 7,72,118                                                    | 638                                                         | 478568                                                      | 393                                                         | 376112                                                      | 351                                                         | 3,31,245                                                    |

Source: JJM-IMIS accessed on 13.12.2023

Note: Safe water for drinking and cooking purposes, to the extent of 8-10 liters per capita per day is being made available if all of the above habitations through the Community Water Purification Plants (CWPPs)