Lok Sabha Question No. 3589 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-08-10
Subject: Quality of Ground Water
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Mohammad Jawed

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3589

ANSWERED ON 10.08.2023

## QUALITY OF GROUND WATER

## 3589. DR. MOHAMMAD JAWED

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government is aware of the 16th Bihar economic survey report (2021-22) which has indicated decrease in quality of ground water sources in rural Bihar due to massive levels of chemical contamination;

(b) if so, the details thereof and the manner in which the Union Government proposes to rectify the situation; and

(c) whether the Government proposes to introduce temporary relief programmes to provide safe drinking water to the people in the affected districts of Bihar and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI

## ( SHRI BISHWESWAR TUDU )

(a) & (b) As  per  16th  Bihar  Economic  Survey  report  (2021-22)  published  by  Government  of  Bihar, groundwater contamination has been reported in certain districts of Bihar.

Further,  Central  Ground  Water  Board  (CGWB)  also  generates  ground  water  quality  data  annually  on regional scale through ground water quality monitoring throughout the country. This monitoring indicates the occurrence of various contaminants beyond the BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) permissible limits for human consumption in isolated pockets in certain parts of the country including Bihar. Details of the partially affected districts (isolated pockets) in the State of Bihar are given at Annexure .

Water  being  a  State  subject  planning,  approval  and  implementation  of  safe  drinking  water  supply schemes, lies with State/UT governments, however, Central government is implementing Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) - Har Ghar Jal in rural areas of the country including Bihar.

(c) Government of India is implementing JJM since August, 2019, in partnership with States including Bihar, 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 including Bihar. Under JJM, while allocating the funds to States/ UTs, 10% weightage is given to the population residing in habitations affected by chemical contaminants.  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.

Since, planning, implementation and commissioning of piped water supply scheme based on a safe water source may take time, purely as an interim measure/for temporary relief, 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.

Further,  as  reported  by  the  State  Government,  as  on  07/08/2023,  more  than  1.57  crore  additional  rural households have been provided with tap water connection since the launch of the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) in Bihar.  Thus,  as  on  date,  more  than  1.60  crore  (96.39%)  households  out  of  1.66  crore  rural  households  are having tap water connection in Bihar. The State/UT, district & village-wise status of tap water connection in rural households can be seen at https://ejalshakti.gov.in/jjmreport/JJMIndia.aspx

## ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) & (b) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3589  TO  BE  ANSWERED  IN  LOK  SABHA  ON  10.08.2023  REGARDING  'QUALITY  OF GROUNDWATER'.

## Details of Partly Affected Districts with various Contaminants in Ground Water of Bihar

| State/UT                          | Salinity (EC above 3000 micro mhos/ cm) (EC : Electrical Conductivity)        | Fluoride ( above 1.5 mg/l)                                                                                                                                                | Nitrate (above 45 mg/l)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | Arsenic (above 0.01 mg/l)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | Iron (above 1mg/l )                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | Heavy metals: Lead (above 0.01 mg/l) Cadmium (above 0.003 mg/l) Chromium (above 0.05                                                          | Uranium (Above 30 µg/l)                                                                            |
|-----------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Bihar                             | Aurangabad, Begusarai, East Champaran, Jehanabad, Nalanda, Samastipur, Saran. | Aurangabad, Banka, Bhagalpur, Gaya, Jahanabad, Jamui, Kaimur (Bhabua), Lakhisarai, Munger, Muzaffarpur, Nalanda, Nawada, Rohtas, Saharsa, Samastipur, Sheikhpura, Supaul. | Araria, Arwal, Aurangabad, Banka, Beguasarai, Bhagalpur, Bhojpur, Buxar, Darbhanga, East Champaran, Gaya, Jahanabad, Kaimur (Bhabua), Katihar, Kishanganj, Lakhisarai, Madhubani, Munger, Muzaffarpur, Nalanda, Nawada, Patna, Purnea, Rohtas, Samastipur, Saran, Seikhpura, Sheohar, Siwan, Supaul, Vaishali, West Champaran. | Araria, Begusarai, Bhagalpur, Bhojpur, Buxar, Darbhanga, East Champaran, Gopalganj, Katihar, Khagaria, Kishanganj, Lakhisarai, Madhepura, Madhubani, Munger, Muzaffarpur, Patna, Purnea, Saharsa Samastipur, Saran, Sheohar, Sitamarhi, Siwan, Supaul, Vaishali, West Champaran. | Araria, Aurangabad ,Banka, Begusarai, Bhabua, Bhagalpur, Bhojpur, Buxar, East Champaran, Gaya, Gopalganj, Jamui, Katihar, Khagaria, Kishanganj, Lakhiserai, Madhepura, Madhubani, Munger, Muzaffarpu r, Nalanda, Nawada, Patna, Purnea, Rohtas, Saharsa, Samastipur, Saran, Seikhpura, Sheohar, Sitamarhi, Siwan, Supaul. | mg/l) Lead: Bhabhua, Bhojpur, Buxar, Katihar, Kishanganj, Madhubani, Rohtas, Samastipur, Vaishali. Chromium: Madhubani, Samastipur, Vaishali. | Saran, Bhabua, Khagari, Madhepura , Nawada, Sheikhpura , Purnea, Kishanganj , Begusarai, Vaishali. |
| Total (No. of districts affected) | 07                                                                            | 17                                                                                                                                                                        | 32                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             | 27                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               | 33                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | Pb: 09 Cr:03                                                                                                                                  | 10                                                                                                 |