(a) whether the Jal Jeevan Mission has a special focus on the Arsenic and Fluoride affected areas in the country;
(b) if so, the details thereof; and
(c) the State-wise break-up of the Mission coverage in the Arsenic and Fluoride affected habitations in the country?
MINISTER FOR JAL SHAKTI
(SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT)
(a) to (c) A Statement of reply is laid on the Table of the House.
Statement referred to in the reply to Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 327 due for reply on 18.03.2021
(a) & (b) Since August, 2019, Government of India in partnership with States, is implementing Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) to provide potable tap water supply to every rural household in the country, by 2024. Under JJM, while planning water supply schemes to provide tap water supply to rural households, priority is given to quality–affected habitations which,inter alia,includes habitations affected with Arsenic and Fluoride contamination. Accordingly, States are prioritising water supply schemes to provide potable drinking water in such habitations.
While allocating the funds to States/ UTs in a particular financial year, 10% weightage is given to the population residing in habitations affected by chemical contaminants including Arsenic and Fluoride, as on 31st March of the preceding financial year. Since, planning, implementation and commissioning of piped water supply schemes based on a safe water source likely to take time, purely as an interim measure, States/ UTs have been advised to install community water purification plants (CWPPs) in such habitations, to provide potable water to every household at the rate of 8–10 litre per capita per day (lpcd) to meet their drinking and cooking requirements.
To provide potable drinking water to 27,544 Arsenic/ Fluoride–affected habitations in the country, in March 2017, National Water Quality Sub-Mission (NWQSM) was launched as a part of National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP), which has now been subsumed into Jal Jeevan Mission. As reported by States, except 1,386 habitations, potable water is now available in all these habitations.
(c) As reported by States/ UTs, number of Arsenic and Fluoride-affected habitations, wherein provision of safe drinking water has been made, since launch of Jal Jeevan Mission, is annexed.
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