Lok Sabha Question No. 512 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-02-06
Subject: Harmful Effects of Contamination in Groundwater
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Shri Kuldeep Indora, Smt. Manju Sharma, Thiru D M Kathir Anand

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI

## DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT & GANGA REJUVENATION

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 512

ANSWERED ON 06.02.2025

## HARMFUL EFFECTS OF CONTAMINATION IN GROUNDWATER

## 512. THIRU D M KATHIR ANAND SMT. MANJU SHARMA SHRI KULDEEP INDORA Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

(a)  whether the Government is aware of the harmful effects of high levels of arsenic, mercury and fluoride contamination in groundwater on humans and animals and if so, the details thereof;

(b)  whether  the  Government  has  any  new  proposal  or  project  for  controlling  the  contamination  of  arsenic, mercury and fluoride along with the total amount sanctioned in this regard and if so, the details thereof;

(c) the details of the number of people found victims of health hazards caused by drinking water contaminated with high levels of arsenic, fluoride, iron, salinity and nitrate in Rajasthan, district-wise along with the steps taken/likely to be taken by the Government in this regard;

(d) whether the Government proposes to improve the water harvesting infrastructure to raise the water level in Rajasthan and if so, the details thereof; and

(e) the measures taken/likely to be taken by the Government to encourage the households to retain rainwater within the ground?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI

## ( SHRI RAJ BHUSHAN CHOUDHARY )

(a) Use  of  Ground  Water for drinking purpose  having Arsenic, Fluoride or Mercury above the permissible limits over a prolonged period of time is known to cause several adverse health effects. As per the information available Arsenic exposure can cause skin lesions, cancer, cardiovascular diseases and developmental effects in children. Likewise, excessive fluoride in the ground water can result in dental and skeletal Fluorosis. Further, Mercury contamination of water sources can lead to Minamata disease (numbness, tremors, memory loss and cognitive impairment), renal damage, developmental toxicity in fetus, cardiovascular effects etc.

(b) Water is a state subject and the responsibility of ground water management, including taking initiatives for  improving  ground  water  quality  and  mitigate  the  contamination  issue,  lies  primarily  with  the  state governments. The Central Government complements the efforts of the States by providing technical support and financial assistance through its various projects and schemes. However, several steps have been taken by the Central Government in this direction like regular quality monitoring and sharing of data by Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) with state governments and other stakeholders, taking up construction of Arsenic and Fluoride safe wells and disseminating the technology, implementation of Water (Prevention & Control) Act,

1974 and the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 by CPCB/SPCBs to prevent and control pollution in water etc.

Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) - HarGhar Jal is a noble initiative. which is operational in the country since August 2019, with a view to make provision of potable tap water supply in adequate quantity, of prescribed quality and on regular & long-term basis to every rural household in the country. Under JJM, Bureau of Indian Standards'  BIS:10500  standards  have  been  adopted  as  prescribed  norms  for  quality  of  tap  water  service delivery  and JJM guidelines also stipulate that while allocating the funds to States/ UTs, 10% weightage is given to the population residing in habitations affected by chemical contaminants. Moreover, a vast network of 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).

It may be appreciated that under JJM, funds are not released separately for eradication of individual contaminants  like  Arsenic,  Fluoride  or  heavy  metals  in  ground  and  drinking  water.  As  per  the  information available on the JJM dashboard, it is seen that from the beginning of the Scheme in 2019 to 2024-25 (up to the month of January 2025) funds to the tune of Rs. 4.3 lakh cr were allocated by the central government and an amount of Rs. 3.7 lakh cr. has been spent towards providing safe drinking water to more than 12.2 cr rural households in the country.

(c) As per the information received from National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), M/o Health & Family Welfare,  no  specific  data  regarding  number  of  victims  of  health  hazards  caused  by  drinking  water contaminated with high levels of arsenic, fluoride, iron, salinity and nitrate in Rajasthan is available.

(d) Despite the  fact  that  creating  rainwater  harvesting  and  artificial  recharge  infrastructure  is  primarily  the mandate of state governments, the Union government has also taken several notable initiatives in this direction and some of the important ones are given below:-

- i. The Government is implementing Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA) in the country since 2019 which is a mission  mode  and  time  bound  programme  for  harvesting  the  rainfall  and  taking  up  water conservation activities. Currently, JSA 2024 is being implemented in the country with special focus on 151 water stressed districts of the country, including 10 such districts in Rajasthan. JSA is an umbrella campaign under which various ground water recharge and conservation related works are being taken up in convergence with various central and state schemes.
- ii. CGWB has taken up National Aquifer Mapping and Management Programme (NAQUIM) with an aim to delineate aquifer disposition and their characterization. Entire mappable area of the country of  around  25  lakh  sq.  km,  including  3.34  lakh  sq  km  of  Rajasthan,  has  been  mapped  under  the scheme  and  management  plans  have  been  shared  with  the  respective  State  governments  for implementation.

- iii. CGWB implements artificial  recharge  projects  for  demonstrative  purposes  and  in  select  priority areas. In the last 3 years, CGWB has taken up the project on 'Groundwater augmentation through artificial recharge in identified water stressed areas of Rajasthan' comprising Jodhpur, Jaisalmer & Sikar districts. The structures include earthen/gravity dams, check dams, anicuts and recharge shaft with ponds.
- iv. Mission AmritSarovar was launched by the Government of India which aimed at developing and rejuvenating  at  least  75  water  bodies  in  each  district  of  the  country,  including  Rajasthan.  As  an outcome  nearly  69,000  AmritSarovars  have  been  constructed/rejuvenated  in  the  country  with around 3,138 in Rajasthan.

(e) Individual household level rooftop rain water harvesting and ground water recharge, especially in urban areas,  is  considered  to  be  of  immense  importance  for  the  success  of  water  conservation  efforts  of  the government as it is reflective of large scale community participation and ground level action by the masses.

- i. Ministry  of  Jal  Shakti  has  circulated  a  Model  Bill  to  all  the  States/UTs  to  enable  them  to  enact suitable  ground  water  legislation  for  regulation  of  its  development,  which, inter  alia, has  the provisions for encouraging roof top rain water harvesting.  So far, 21 States/UTs have adopted and implemented the ground water legislation.
- ii. Ministry  of  Housing  &  Urban  Affairs  (MoHUA)  has  formulated  Model  Building  Bye  Laws (MBBL),  2016  for  the  States/UTs,  wherein  adequate  focus  has  been  given  on  requirement  of rainwater harvesting and water conservation measures. As per MBBL, all buildings having a plot size of 100 Sq.m. or more, shall mandatorily include the complete proposal of rainwater harvesting. 35 States/ UTs have adopted the features of the Model Bye Laws.
- iii. 'Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari'- A Community-Driven Path to Water Sustainability in India has been launched by the Hon'ble Prime Minister on September 6, 2024, in Surat, Gujarat with a vision to make  rain  water  harvesting  a  mass  movement  in  the  country.  Under  JSJB,  community  led construction of rain water harvesting  & artificial  recharge  structures  across  the  country  has  been taken up in mission mode for installing such structures in various public and private buildings in towns and villages, by bringing all stakeholders together.
- iv. CGWB has prepared 'Guide on Artificial  Recharge  to  Groundwater'  and  'Manual  on  Artificial Recharge to Groundwater' which contain information on various aspects of construction, operation and maintenance of these structures. Roof top rain water harvesting, suitable especially for urban habitations is also dealt with in detail.

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