(a) whether the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) are in place for drinking water;
(b) if so, whether BIS quality standards have not been made mandatory for civic agencies engaged in supplying drinking water to houses across the country;
(c) if so, the reasons for not making BIS standards mandatory for supplying piped drinking water; and
(d) the details of new steps being taken by the Government to ensure safe drinking water supply to every house hold in the country?
THE MINISTER OF STATE
CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
(SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)
(a) : Yes, Sir. Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has made two Indian Standards pertaining to drinking water, namely, IS 10500:2012 on Drinking Water – Specification and IS 17482:2020 on Drinking Water Supply Management System - Requirements for Piped Drinking Water Supply.
(b) : BIS quality standards are not mandatory for civic agencies engaged in supplying drinking water to houses across the country .
(c) : Water Supply is a State subject and it is the responsibility of the State Government/Urban Local Bodies to plan, design, execute, operate and maintain the water supply systems.
(d) : Since August, 2019, Government of India in partnership with States, is implementing Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) - Har Ghar Jal to make provision of potable tap water supply in adequate quantity, of prescribed quality on regular and long-term basis to every rural household by 2024. Under Jal Jeevan Mission, as per existing guideline, IS 10500:2012 is to be adopted for ensuring safe drinking water supply and States/ UTs have been advised to carry out testing of drinking water sources once in year for chemical and physical parameters and twice in a year for bacteriological parameters.
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