Lok Sabha Question No. 4337 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-08-11
Subject: Contaminated Drinking Water
Ministry: DRINKING WATER AND SANITATION
Asked by: RAM PRASAD SARMAH

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF DRINKING WATER AND SANITATION LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4337 TO BE ANSWERED ON 11/08/2016

## Contaminated Drinking Water

† 4337. SHRI.RAM PRASAD SARMAH Will the Minister of DRINKING WATER AND SANITATION be pleased to state: (a)  whether  the  Government  has  formulated  any  schemes  to  install  community  water purification projects in North-Eastern States (NE) to purify ground water; (b) if so, the details thereof and the steps being taken by the Government in this regard; and (c)  the  funds  allocated  by  the  Union  Government  during  the  last  three  years  and  the current year to provide potable water to large population in the NE Region which are

- consuming groundwater that contains arsenic and fluoride?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF DRINKING   WATER AND SANITATION (SHRI RAMESH CHANDAPPA JIGAJINAGI )

- (a) &  (b)  Yes  Madam.  On  13 th   November,  2014  Ministry  has  formulated  and  issued operational  guidelines  on  implementation  of  Community  Drinking  Water  Purification Plants in Rural India.

The Details of the scheme guidelines are as follows: -

- 1) The  States  shall  tender  out  the  project  to  private  developer  through  a  transparent process  duly  examining  suitability  of  technology  for  removal  /  reduction  of  specific contamination
- 2) Contractor deployed / selected shall take up O&M  from  day-1  of the date of commissioning including trial run period and will be continued for 10 years.
- 3) The technological options to treat specific contaminants are left to the States to decide.
- 4) The States shall take up such habitations where the entire population is to be provided with safe drinking water @ 8-10 litres per capita per day.
- 5) The States shall provide raw water and the electricity to the plants.
- 6) Concerned  States  shall  ensure  that  the  reject  management  issues  are  dealt  in  an environmentally sustainable manner.
- 7) Public buildings in the affected areas should be given priority for installation of the water quality treatment units.
- 8) The State Government shall collect suitable tariff from the users.
9. (c) As per the National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) guidelines, 10% of the total budget is allocated to North Eastern States. Funds allocated by this Ministry to the North-Eastern  States  during  last  three  years  and  current  year  under  National  Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) is given in the Annexure-I.

As reported by the States into the online Integrated Management Information System (IMIS)  of  the  Ministry,  only  Assam  is  reported  to  have  arsenic  and  fluoride  affected habitations.  Further,  on  recommendation  of  NITI  Aayog,  the  Government  of  India  had released Rs 11.57 crore to Assam in March' 2016 to install community water purification plants in 288 arsenic affected habitations and 109 fluoride affected habitations by March' 2017 so that 8-10 litres per capita per day of safe drinking water is made available, for drinking and cooking purposes to the affected rural population.

******

State-wise allocation of funds by Government of India during the last three years and current year under NRDWP (Rupees in Crore)

|   S.No. | State             |   2013-2014 |   2014-15 |   2015-16 |   2016-17 |
|---------|-------------------|-------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
|       1 | ARUNACHAL PRADESH |      201.23 |     64.21 |     58.08 |     63.59 |
|       2 | ASSAM             |      470    |    501.1  |    211.73 |    227.84 |
|       3 | MANIPUR           |       58.75 |     90.35 |     28.98 |     26.42 |
|       4 | MEGHALAYA         |       92.18 |     44.61 |     30.52 |     34.35 |
|       5 | MIZORAM           |       38.41 |     42.43 |     17.71 |     18.38 |
|       6 | NAGALAND          |       56.66 |    103.19 |     35.27 |     22.7  |
|       7 | SIKKIM            |       16.88 |     30.38 |     10.64 |      7.63 |
|       8 | TRIPURA           |       59.29 |     62.06 |     28.07 |     26.6  |