Question : Access to Drinking Water

(a) whether some of the States in the country have access to potable drinking water below the national average;
(b) if so, the details thereof, State/UTwise and the reasons therefor;
(c) the details of the targets set and achievements made by the Government to cover habitations for potable drinking water during each of the last three years and the current year, State/UT-wise;
(d) the funds earmarked, allocated and utilized for the purpose during the said period, State/UT-wise; and
(e) the steps taken/being taken by the Government to provide potable drinking water to each and every household in the country?

MINISTER OF STATE FORJAL SHAKTI
(SHRI RATTAN LAL KATARIA)

(a) to (e)Rural drinking water supply is a State subject. Under National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP), this Ministry provides technical & financial assistance to the states to improve the coverage of safe drinking water in rural areas. Coverage of safe drinking water is maintained in terms of Fully Covered (FC) Habitations (i.e. getting more than 40 liters per capita per day (lpcd), Partially Covered (PC) (i.e. getting less than 40 lpcd) and Quality Affected (QA) habitation (i.e. containing chemical contamination).As per information furnished by the States on Integrated Management Information System (IMIS), as on date 80.98% of the rural habitations constituting 76.18% of the rural population have access to drinking water as per said norms. State/ UT wise details are at Annexure-I. The reason for below average coverage in some states, includes slip back of habitations to partially covered status due to drying up of drinking water sources, lowering of ground water table, drinking water sources becoming contaminated due to natural and man-made causes, water supply systems outliving their life, systems working below rated capacities, poor operation and maintenance of systems, increase in population, emergence of new habitations, delay in procurement processes, taking up multi-village schemes, etc.
State-wise details of the targets set and achievements made by the Government to cover habitations for potable drinking water under NRDWP during each of the last three years and the current year are at Annexure-II. State/UT-wise funds earmarked, allocated and utilized for the purpose during the said period are at Annexure-III.