Lok Sabha Question No. 115 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-02-02
Subject: Drinking Water in Mining Areas
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Mahesh Sahoo

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 115

ANSWERED ON 02.02.2023

## DRINKING WATER IN MINING AREAS

## 115. SHRI MAHESH SAHOO:

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of the steps taken by the Government to provide safe drinking water in the mining areas;
- (b) whether periodic tests are being carried out by the authorities to ascertain the quality of ground water in mining areas during the last three years, particularly in Odisha; and
- (c) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

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

(a) to (c) 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 including mining areas. 'Water' being a state subject, planning, approval, and implementation of drinking water supply schemes, lies with State/UT governments.

Under JJM, while allocating the funds to States/ UTs, 10% weightage is given to the population residing  in  habitations  affected  by  chemical  contaminants.  While  planning  for  potable  water supply  to  household  through  tap  water  connection,  priority  is  to  be  given  to  quality-affected habitations. The States/ UTs have been advised to plan and implement piped water scheme of bulk water transfer based on safe water sources such as surface water sources or alternative safe ground water sources for the villages with water quality issues including mining areas.

Since, planning, implementation and commissioning of piped water supply scheme based on a safe water source may take 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.

Under  Jal  Jeevan  Mission,  as  per  existing  guidelines,  Bureau  of  Indian  Standards'  IS:10500 standard is to be adopted for ensuring safe drinking water supply. States/UTs have been advised to undertake testing of water quality of drinking water sources and delivery points on a periodic basis  i.e  once  for  chemical  contamination  and  twice  for  bacteriological  contamination  (pre-

monsoon and post-monsoon) in a year and take remedial action wherever necessary to ensure supply of drinking water of prescribed quality at household level.

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.  As  reported  by States/UTs, as on 31.01.2023, about 175.40 lakh water samples have been tested in the water testing laboratories and 155.73 lakh water samples have been tested using Field Testing Kits (FTKs) since 01.04.2019. This includes about 8.35 lakh water samples tested in the water testing laboratories and 15.25 lakh water samples tested using FTKs by Odisha State. District-wise detail for Odisha State is annexed .

The State-wise details of water quality tests reported through WQMIS are available in public domain on JJM Dashboard and can also be accessed at:

## https://ejalshakti.gov.in/WQMIS/Main/report

To encourage water quality testing to ensure potable drinking water supply, States/ UTs have set up water quality testing laboratories and opened these to general public for testing of their water samples at a nominal rate.

States/  UTs  have  been  advised  to  identify  and  train  5  persons  preferably  women  from  every village to conduct water quality tests using FTKs/ bacteriological vials at village level and report the same on the WQMIS portal. So far, about 18.06 lakh women have been trained including 0.74 lakh women in Odisha State.

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## Annex referred to in the reply to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 115 to be answered on 02.02.2023

## District-wise number of water samples tested in labs and using FTKs since 01.04.2019 in Odisha

(As on 31.01.2023)

| S. No.   | District      | No. of samples tested in Labs since 01.04.2019   | No. of samples tested using FTKs since 01.04.2019   |
|----------|---------------|--------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------|
| 1.       | Angul         | 44,101                                           | 57,409                                              |
| 2.       | Balangir      | 30,262                                           | 53,134                                              |
| 3.       | Balasore      | 32,910                                           | 69,475                                              |
| 4.       | Bargarh       | 34,083                                           | 54,530                                              |
| 5.       | Bhadrak       | 22,118                                           | 49,384                                              |
| 6.       | Boudh         | 10,763                                           | 23,169                                              |
| 7.       | Cuttack       | 41,756                                           | 87,537                                              |
| 8.       | Deogarh       | 12,181                                           | 23,182                                              |
| 9.       | Dhenkanal     | 23,956                                           | 53,015                                              |
| 10.      | Gajapati      | 21,238                                           | 29,092                                              |
| 11.      | Ganjam        | 51,201                                           | 91,540                                              |
| 12.      | Jagatsinghpur | 21,122                                           | 45,294                                              |
| 13.      | Jajpur        | 31,964                                           | 42,147                                              |
| 14.      | Jharsuguda    | 10,926                                           | 22,926                                              |
| 15.      | Kalahandi     | 18,150                                           | 52,094                                              |
| 16.      | Kandhamal     | 33,028                                           | 53,867                                              |
| 17.      | Kendrapara    | 24,363                                           | 57,998                                              |
| 18.      | Kendujhar     | 44,831                                           | 66,110                                              |
| 19.      | Khordha       | 13,507                                           | 46,228                                              |
| 20.      | Koraput       | 34,090                                           | 47,939                                              |
| 21.      | Malkangiri    | 22,480                                           | 38,033                                              |
| 22.      | Mayurbhanj    | 44,419                                           | 97,740                                              |
| 23.      | Nabarangapur  | 22,308                                           | 45,884                                              |
| 24.      | Nayagarh      | 23,153                                           | 39,478                                              |
| 25.      | Nuapada       | 20,741                                           | 28,757                                              |
| 26.      | Puri          | 33,427                                           | 50,967                                              |
| 27.      | Rayagada      | 34,306                                           | 45,761                                              |
| 28.      | Sambalpur     | 23,332                                           | 45,513                                              |
| 29.      | Subarnapur    | 11,268                                           | 24,943                                              |
| 30.      | Sundargarh    | 42,690                                           | 82,384                                              |
| Total    | Total         | 8,34,674                                         | 15,25,530                                           |

Source: JJM-IMIS & WQMIS