Lok Sabha Question No. 42 (STARRED), answered on 2025-02-06
Subject: Quality of Water under JJM
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Shri Dhairyasheel Sambhajirao Mane, Shri Sudheer Gupta

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

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 42

TO BE ANSWERED ON  06/02/2025

## QUALITY OF WATER UNDER JJM

## *42.     SHRI DHAIRYASHEEL SAMBHAJIRAO MANE: SHRI SUDHEER GUPTA:

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has issued new protocols to the States regarding regular check and improvement measures for ensuring quality of water to be supplied under Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) and if so, the details thereof;

(b)  whether  the  expert  committee  formed  under  the  chairmanship  of  Shri  V.K.  Madhavan  for ensuring the quality of water under the set standards of the Government have submitted its report to the Union Government;

- (c) if so, the details and the outcome thereof; and

(d) the other measures taken/being taken by the Government to ensure supply of quality water to the households under JJM in the country?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF JAL SHAKTI (SHRI C R PATIL)

(a) to (d): A statement is laid on the table of the House.

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Statement referred to in reply to parts (a) to (d) in respect of Lok Sabha Starred Question No.  *42  for  reply  on  06.02.2025  regarding  quality  of  water  under  JJM  asked  by  Shri Dhairyasheel Sambhajirao Mane and Shri Sudheer Gupta

(a) to (c): The Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation has issued the "Concise Handbook for Monitoring Water Quality of Piped Drinking Water Supply to Rural Households" on December 30, 2024 which was prepared by expert committee chaired by the AS & MD (NJJM), in which Shri V. K. Madhavan from Water Aid was one of the committee members. This handbook has been shared to all States and Union Territories (UTs) and the electronic copy is uploaded on the Department's website at:

https://jalshakti-ddws.gov.in/sites/default/files/handbook-for-monitoring-wq-of-piped-drinkingwater.pdf

(d): Water  being  a  state  subject,  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.  Under  the  Jal  Jeevan  Mission,  as  per  existing guidelines,  Bureau  of  Indian  Standards'  publication  BIS:10500  are  adopted  as  benchmark  for ensuring the quality of water being supplied through the piped water supply schemes.

Further,  as  per  the  Operational  Guidelines,  States/  UTs  can  utilize  up  to  2%  of  their  annual allocation of funds under JJM for Water Quality Monitoring & Surveillance (WQM&S) activities, inter-alia,  which  includes  setting  up  and  strengthening  of  water  quality  testing  laboratories, procurement  of  equipment,  instruments,  chemicals,  glassware,  consumables,  hiring  of  skilled manpower,  surveillance  by  community  using  field  test  kits  (FTKs),  awareness  generation, educational programmes on water quality, accreditation/recognition of laboratories, etc. 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.

The State PHEDs operate a network of 2,162 water quality testing laboratories (1,580 NABL accredited/ recognized). The mission has focused on NABL accreditation/ recognition of all labs, as it will increase of confidence in testing data, personnel performing work and testing reports issued by the laboratories. The details of year wise testing done through WQ testing laboratories and through FTKs is as under:

| Year                       | No. of samples tested (in Lakhs)   | No. of samples tested (in Lakhs)   | Grand Total   |
|----------------------------|------------------------------------|------------------------------------|---------------|
| Year                       | in labs                            | using FTKs                         | Grand Total   |
| 2019-20                    | 39.00                              | 8.49                               | 50.66         |
| 2020-21                    | 49.01                              | 38.18                              | 87.19         |
| 2021-22                    | 41.72                              | 25.34                              | 67.06         |
| 2022-23                    | 62.20                              | 96.24                              | 158.44        |
| 2023-24                    | 75.00                              | 108.54                             | 183.54        |
| 2024-25 (As on 02.02.2025) | 66.56                              | 85.65                              | 152.21        |
| Total                      | 333.49                             | 362.44                             | 699.10        |

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