Lok Sabha Question No. 895 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-07-21
Subject: Drinking Water Shortage
Ministry: DRINKING WATER AND SANITATION
Asked by: ANANDRAO  ADSUL, SHIVAJI ADHALRAO PATIL, SUNIL BALIRAM GAIKWAD, GAJANAN CHANDRAKANT KIRTIKAR, KUNWAR HARIBANSH SINGH

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF DRINKING WATER AND SANITATION

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 895 TO BE ANSWERED ON 21.07.2016

## Drinking Water Shortage

## 895. SHRI ANANDRAO ADSUL SHRI ADHALRAO PATIL SHIVAJIRAO DR. SUNIL BALIRAM GAIKWAD SHRI GAJANAN KIRTIKAR KUNWAR HARIBANSH SINGH

Will  the  Minister  of  DRINKING  WATER  AND  SANITATION  be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  drought  has  been  declared  in  a  number  of  regions/districts  in  the country including Marathwada region and Latur District of Maharashtra, if so, the details of such district/regions in the country indicating the people and cattle lost their lives due to lack of availability of drinking water, State/ UT-wise;
- (b)  whether  the  Union  Government  has  faced  much  criticism  for  not  doing enough  to  ease  the  problem  of  drinking  water  shortage  in  drought-affected States, and if so, the details thereof;
- (c)  whether  most  of  the  States  hit  by  an  acute  water  shortage  have  not  fully utilised funds allocated/released to them by the Union Government for drinking water projects in  the  rural  areas  and  if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  the  reasons cited by the States/ UTs therefor;
- (d) whether Central Government sought reports from the State Governments on severe shortage of drinking water and if so, the response received there from, State-wise; and
- (e)  the  details  of  the  corrective  measures  taken  by  the  Union  Government  to find a permanent solution to the shortage of drinking water in the country?

## ANSWER

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

(a) Yes Madam. Eleven states namely Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana,  Madhya  Pradesh,  Chhattisgarh,  Jharkhand,  Rajasthan,  Karnataka, Gujarat and Maharashtra had been facing drinking water crisis due to drought situations. Moreover 2 States namely Bihar and Haryana were also facing water crisis  in  some  parts  of  the  States. However,  the  situation  is  likely  to  improve now with  the  onset  of  monsoon  and  good  rainfall  in  all  these  regions.    This Ministry does not have any records related to human or cattle lives lost due to lack of availability of drinking water in the country.

(b) and (c)  No Madam. This Ministry has given due importance to the problem of drinking water caused   in rural areas due to drought. Timely advisories were issued  to  all  States  to  take  all  contingent  measures  to  mitigate  the  situation. Initial instalments of funds under NRDWP have been released very early in the financial year to enable the States to tackle the situation.

For Ministry has earmarked 2% of the total fund allocated under National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) for meeting drinking water needs of the rural  areas  in  the  wake  of  natural  disasters  which  inter  alia  include  droughts also.

Funds  under  Calamity  component  is  released  on  the  basis  recommendation received  from  the  High  Level  Committee  (HLC).  Moreover,  the  States  have also been asked to utilize the flexi fund which is 10% of the allocation to the States to mitigate the drinking water problem in rural areas in case of drought. Also, States may utilize 15% of Operation & Maintenance funds available under NRDWP to meet the requirement.

(d)  Yes Madam. As per the information uploaded on Integrated Management Information System (IMIS) of this Ministry, all States (having drinking water shortage  due  to  drought  like  situation)  have  provided  the  details  of  measures taken by them to mitigate the scarcity. The details of various measures taken by all droughts affected States is at Annexure.

(e)  The Government of India has directed all States / UT on the onset of the summer season to take the following short term corrective measures to mitigate the shortage of drinking water in rural areas -

- o Immediate  repair  &  maintenance  of  all  water  supply  systems,  hand pumps and bore wells should be done. If required sufficient number of mobile  van  with  spare  parts  should  be  made  available  in  the  affected areas.
- o There are a large number of private bore wells where ground water yield is good. These should hired by the district collectors and water should be equitably distributed to the affected population.
- o Due to fall in water table, more riser pipes may be used to increase the yield of the hand pumps. Sufficient number of riser pumps may be used to increase the availability of drinking water in the affected areas.
- o Wherever  water  reservoir  /  ponds  are  available,  they  may  be  used  to increase  the  capacity  of  drinking  water  through  piped  water  supply systems.
- o Wherever aquifer is good, new bore wells should be set up.
- o Wherever  the  above  possibilities  are  not  suitable,  water  should  be transported through water tankers and supplied to the affected population. Wherever water quality is not good mobile water treatment plants should be used to provide safe drinking water.

For implementing all the above activities, this Ministry has allowed the affected States to use flexi funds to the extent of 10% of National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) funds.

As on 19.07.2016, a total amount of Rs. 2032.98 cores is available with these drought  affected  States  as  Central  share.  This  fund  along  with  the  State matching  share  may  be  utilized  to  take  corrective  actions  as  well  as  for permanent solution.

## Annexure-I

## Annexure referred to in part (b) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Q.No. 895 for answer on 21.07.2016 Details of measures taken by states to mitigate rural drinking water situation

(As on 19.07.2016 uploaded on IMIS)*

| State          |   Number of Habitation affected |   Number of Handpumps repaired/Restore d including Hydrofracturing, flushing etc. |   Number of Pvt. Borwells hired |   Riser pipes used in running meters (Increased/ Replenishe d) in Handpum p |   Number of New borewell commissio ned |   Number of Temporary PWSfrom water bodies |   Number of Tankers Trips used |   Number of Habitations covered by the tankers |
|----------------|---------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|--------------------------------|------------------------------------------------|
| ANDHRA PRADESH |                            1545 |                                                                             24562 |                             141 |                                                                       33387 |                                    637 |                                         22 |                           5463 |                                           1011 |
| BIHAR          |                             350 |                                                                             52685 |                               5 |                                                                        7273 |                                  23686 |                                          0 |                            571 |                                             82 |
| CHATTISGARH    |                           60332 |                                                                            156208 |                               4 |                                                                      230807 |                                   6181 |                                          0 |                              2 |                                              1 |
| GUJARAT        |                            1551 |                                                                            314614 |                              40 |                                                                      393355 |                                  14605 |                                          7 |                         280291 |                                           1838 |
| HARYANA        |                             137 |                                                                                26 |                              30 |                                                                         304 |                                    116 |                                          0 |                          13548 |                                            123 |
| JHARKHAND      |                          119667 |                                                                            144090 |                               0 |                                                                      931320 |                                  11575 |                                          0 |                            543 |                                             19 |
| KARNATAKA      |                           15012 |                                                                              1229 |                              45 |                                                                           0 |                                   5098 |                                          0 |                           3818 |                                           1109 |
| MADHYA PRADESH |                          112810 |                                                                            269115 |                             307 |                                                                      443207 |                                   6388 |                                          0 |                              0 |                                            217 |
| MAHARASHTRA    |                           20004 |                                                                             15042 |                            7104 |                                                                       35485 |                                   2048 |                                        189 |                          14300 |                                           9221 |
| ODISHA         |                           96826 |                                                                            139765 |                               2 |                                                                      178196 |                                   5322 |                                          2 |                         164536 |                                           2416 |
| RAJASTHAN      |                           11335 |                                                                             66934 |                              44 |                                                                     1133020 |                                    420 |                                          0 |                         408875 |                                          11335 |
| TELANGANA      |                           14850 |                                                                             15707 |                            8981 |                                                                       36134 |                                   2068 |                                       1215 |                          14037 |                                           3000 |
| UTTAR PRADESH  |                               0 |                                                                            168718 |                               0 |                                                                           0 |                                     58 |                                          0 |                             96 |                                             90 |
| Total          |                          454419 |                                                                           1368695 |                           16703 |                                                                     3422488 |                                  78202 |                                       1435 |                         906080 |                                          30462 |

(source: IMIS format no. C-28)