Lok Sabha Question No. 469 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-11-28
Subject: Contamination of Groundwater
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Smt. Kanimozhi Karunanidhi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 469

## ANSWERED ON 28.11.2024

## CONTAMINATION OF GROUNDWATER

## 469. SMT. KANIMOZHI KARUNANIDHI

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

(a) the details of arsenic and fluoride contamination found in groundwater across the country, State/UTwise;

(b) whether the Government has taken any initiative to address this issue;

(c) if so, the details thereof; and

(d)  the  steps  taken/proposed  to  be  taken  for  ensuring  the  supply  of  potable  drinking  water  to  the affected populations from such contamination?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI

## ( SHRI RAJ BHUSHAN CHOUDHARY )

(a) Central  Ground  Water  Board  (CGWB)  conducts  ground  water  quality  monitoring  for  several contaminants  including  Arsenic  and  Fluoride  on  a  regular  basis  throughout  the  country  and  also generates ground water quality data on a regional scale during various scientific studies. These studies indicate the occurrence of Arsenic and Fluoride in ground water beyond permissible limits (as per BIS) for human consumption in isolated pockets in various States / UTs. Arsenic has been reported in parts of 230  districts  in  25  States  and  in  parts  of  469  districts  in  27  states  fluoride  contamination  is  found. State/UT wise details are provided in the Annexure . Further, it is largely observed that the ground water contamination reported by CGWB is mostly geogenic (coming from soil and rock matrix) in nature.

(b) & (c) 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. In addition to this several steps have been taken by the Central Government in this direction. Some of the important ones are mentioned below:-

- i. Data on ground water quality available with CGWB are made available in public domain through reports as well as through the web site (http://www.cgwb.gov.in) for use by various stakeholders.  The  data  is  also  shared  with  concerned  State  Governments  for  taking necessary remedial measures.
- ii. Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) has entered into an MoU with Geological Survey of India  (GSI)  in  2022  for  the  study  of  Uranium,  Lead,  Arsenic,  Fluoride  and  Mercury

contamination of groundwater in parts of Punjab, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Assam States.

- iii. CGWB  has  developed  a  unique  design  for  constructing  Arsenic  free  wells  in  arsenic affected areas using the cement sealing technology for tapping contamination free aquifers and has shared the technical information along with the handover of the arsenic safe wells with  States  for  gainful  utilisation.  Similarly  in-situ  fluoride  mitigation  technique  has  also been developed.
- iv. Further, the quality of groundwater can be improved to some extent if concerted efforts are made to improve the groundwater resources through appropriate groundwater recharge/rainwater  harvesting.  The  Ministry  of  Jal  Shakti  has  taken  up  several  important measures in this direction like launching of Jal Shakti Abhiyan which focuses on saving and conserving rainwater with peoples' participation, preparation for Master plan, a macro level plan  indicating  various  structures  for  the  different  terrain  conditions  of  the  country  for Artificial  Recharge,  regulation  of  ground  water  extraction,  implementing  Atal  Bhujal Yojana with the theme of participatory ground water management etc.

(d) Government of India is implementing Jal Jeevan Mission for ensuring reliable, affordable, sufficient, potable  tap  water  supply  to  every  household  in  the  rural  areas  including  water  quality  affected habitations.  Following  measures  have  been  taken  under  JJM  to  facilitate  action  on  water  quality aspects:-

- i. Under  JJM,  while  planning  for  potable  water  supply  to  household  through  tap  water connection, priority is given to quality-affected habitations. Since, planning, implementation and commissioning of piped water supply scheme 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)  especially  in  Arsenic  and  Fluoride  affected  habitations  to provide potable water to every household.
- ii. While allocating the funds to States/ UTs, 10% weightage is given to the population residing in habitations affected by chemical contaminants.
- iii. The  'Drinking  Water  Quality  Monitoring  &  Surveillance  Framework'  was  devised  and disseminated to States in October 2021.
- iv. To facilitate  implementation of the above said Framework, 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).
- v. 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.

ANNEXURE ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 469 TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 28.11.2024 REGARDING 'CONTAMINATION OF

## GROUNDWATER'.

States  where  Arsenic  contamination  has  been  detected  in  pockets: Andhra  Pradesh,  Telangana, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Daman & Diu, West Bengal, Puducherry (Total 25 States & UTs).

States  where  Fluoride  contamination  has  been  detected  in  pockets: Andhra  Pradesh,  Telangana, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka,  Kerala,  Madhya  Pradesh,  Maharashtra,  Manipur,  Meghalaya,  Nagaland,  Odisha,  Punjab, Rajasthan,  Tamil  Nadu,  Tripura,  Uttar  Pradesh,  Uttarakhand,  West  Bengal,  Daman  &  Diu (Total  27 States & UTs).

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