Question : QUALITY OF DRINKING WATER

(a) whether attention of the Government has been drawn to the newsitem captioned `Delhi water poor in Chlorine, rich in cholera` appearing in the Statesman dated May 29, 2000;

(b) if so, the facts of the matter reported therein;

(c) whether the samples of drinking water taken by the Government agencies have revealed contents of highly bacteria;

(d) if so, whether the existing methods to purify the drinking water in the capital are not only ineffective but unhealthy also; and

(e) if so, the steps contemplated by the Union Government to provide safe drinking water to its residents particularly in NDMC areas?

MINISTER OF STATE FOR URBAN DEVELOPMENT & POVERTY ALLEVIATION ( SHRI BANDARU DATTATREYA )

(a): Yes, Sir.

(b): The Delhi Jal Board has reported that contents of the News item were not entirely correct. The samples mentioned in the newspaper report at (a) were not the true representative samples of the Delhi Jal Board water as the same were of stored water or trolley water. Subsequently DJB lifted 51 samples of water from the said area and all samples were found to have adequate residual chlorine indicating the potability of water.

(c): No, Sir. During April, 2000 to July, 2000, Delhi Jal Board has reported of lifting of 31677 water samples from all over Delhi from which 98.7% of the samples were found satisfactory. The remaining 1.3% samples were found unsatisfactory in which the deficiency was rectified.

(d): The existing methods to purify the drinking water are largely effective because quality control measures are taken from raw water stage upto consumers end.

(e): Does not arise in view of reply to (d) above.