Question : Mobile Water Testing Laboratories

(a) whether mobile laboratories have been/are being deployed to monitor the quality of drinking water in the country;
(b) if so, the details thereof, State/ UT-wise;
(c) whether any schedule has been prepared for the periodic testing of quality of ground water for drinking water purpose in States/UTs of the country and if so, the details thereof; and
(d) whether hand pumps were shut down to check the consumption of contaminated water in quality affected areas and if so, the details thereof, State-wise?

MINISTER OF STATE FOR MINISTRY OF DRINKING WATER AND SANITATION
(SHRI RAMESH CHANDAPPA JIGAJINAGI)
(a) & (b) The State/UT wise number of mobile water quality testing laboratories reported by the State/UT Governments into the online Integrated Management Information System (IMIS) of the Ministry as on 09/12/2016 is at Annexure-I.
(c) Frequency of sampling, parameters to be tested, list of equipment, chemicals, glassware, space and manpower required for water quality testing laboratories at various levels (State/District/Sub-division) has been published by the Ministry in its Uniform Drinking Water Quality Monitoring Protocol in February 2013 and circulated to all States/ UTs. As per this Protocol, water quality sampling and testing shall be done twice a year per source for bacteriological parameters and once a year for chemical parameters. However, for establishingthe base line status, water quality sampling and testing shall be analysed onceduring pre-monsoon and post-monsoon season duly registering the latitude and longitudeand depth of ground water.

(d) The Ministry of Drinking Water &Sanitation, Government of India has not informed the States/UTs to shut down/ban use of hand pumps. However, the Ministry advised the States wherever such hand pumps are found to be chemically contaminated especially with arsenic or fluoride, water from these sources may be used for purposes other than drinking and cooking purposes. State/UT-wise number of water quality affected habitations which are yet to be provided safe drinking water as reported by the states into online IMIS of the Ministry as on 09/12/2016 is at Annexure-II.