Question : Accessibility of Safe Drinking Water

a) the number and percentage of households reportedly travelling long distances to fetch safe drinking water, State/ UT-wise;

(b) the steps taken/being taken by the Government to provide safe drinking water within the premises or with better accessibility;

(c) the details of the schemes/ programmes being implemented by the Government for providing Piped Water Supply (PWS) in rural areas and the targets fixed and achievements made thereunder during each of the last three years and the current year, State/UT-wise;

(d) the details of habitations where PWS is presently not available and the time by which these habitations are likely to be provided with PWS, State/UT-wise; and

(e) the others steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to ensure availability of safe drinking water to every household in the country?

MINISTER OF STATE FOR DRINKING WATER & SANITATION
(SHRI RAMKRIPAL YADAV)


(a) The Ministry does not monitor the number of households travelling long distance to fetch safe drinking water. However, as per Census 2011, 22.10% of rural households have to travel more than half a kilometer for fetching drinking water in rural areas

(b) & (c) In the 12th Five Year Plan period (2012-17) there has been a major shift of emphasis towards piped water supply with the goal of providing at least 50 % of the rural population with at least 40 lpcd within the household premises or at a distance of not more than 100 m from their households.

The Government of India administers the National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) under which the financial and technical assistance is provided to States to supplement their efforts to provide adequate safe drinking water to the rural population. The execution of the rural water supply schemes is done by the State / UT governments. Government of India has given priority to cover partially covered habitations and quality affected habitations with safe drinking water. In the Twelfth Five year plan period, the focus is on piped water supply. The targets fixed and achievement made under Piped Water Supply in rural areas for the last three years and current year is given at Annexure-I.

(d) & (e) The details of habitations where PWS is presently not available is given at Annexure-II. Under NRDWP, this Ministry has prepared a strategic plan for the rural drinking water sector for the period 2011-2022, which stresses on extending the piped water supply to more households in the rural areas. The interim goal till 2017, is to cover 50% of all rural households with piped water supply. By 2022, the goal is to cover 90% rural households with piped water supply.