Question : Chemicals in Ground Water

(a) whether it has been found during the study of quality of drinking water that the depleting ground water level is the cause of scarcity of safe drinking water and if so, the details thereof;
(b) whether the Government has identified the areas, where arsenic and fluoride affected contaminated drinking water is being supplied and if so, the details thereof;
(c) the schemes formulated by the Government to provide safe drinking water to the people of said areas;
(d) whether additional funds have been provided or proposes to be provided to States to enable them providing safe drinking water to areas where the water quality is not upto the mark along with maintaining the ground water level so as to provide safe drinking water; and
(e) if so, the details thereof along-with the monitoring mechanism put in place to ensure proper utilization of funds?

MINISTER OF STATE
IN THE MINISTRY OF DRINKING WATER & SANITATION
(SHRI RAMESH CHANDAPPA JIGAJINAGI)


(a) As per the Annual Report 2014-15 published by Central Ground Water Board, out of 6607 assessed blocks, 1071 have been reported over exploited. That is annual ground water draft exceeds the annual replenishable ground water resources which indicates Ground Water is depleting. 85% of rural habitations are dependent on ground water sources. Drinking water sources when gets depleted, it not only reduces in volume but also gets contaminated.
(b) State-wise number of arsenic and fluoride affected habitations in rural drinking water sources as reported by the States into Integrated Management Information System (IMIS) of the Ministry as on 30/01/2017 is furnished at Annexure-I.

(c) & (d) The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation assists the States technically and financially in providing safe drinking water through the centrally sponsored National Rural Drinking Water Programme. Upto 67% of funds provided to the States under NRDWP can be utilized for coverage and tackling water quality problems with priority to arsenic and fluoride affected habitation. Further, up to 10% of NRDWP funds allocated to States could be utilized for sustainability of drinking water sources through artificial recharge of ground water and other methods, which inter alia may also dilute the level of contamination in aquifers.

Further on recommendation of NITI Aayog, the Government of India had released Rs 800 crore in March’ 2016 to provide community water purification plants in all remaining arsenic and fluoride affected habitations by March’ 2017 so that 8-10 litres per capita per day of safe drinking water is made available in these arsenic and fluoride affected habitations for drinking and cooking purposes, as short term measures. In addition, funds to the tune of Rs.100 Crore each are also provided for tackling arsenic and fluoride problems in West Bengal and Rajasthan respectively for the last mile connectivity in commissioning surface water based piped water supply schemes. State-wise release of funds is given in Annexure-II.

(e) The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation assists the States financially through the centrally sponsored National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP), State Governments are required to upload the details of expenditure regularly into Integrated Management Information System (IMIS) of the Ministry for monitoring of utilization of funds.