MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI
(SHRI PRAHLAD SINGH PATEL)
(a) As reported by States/ UTs, State/ UT-wise details of water samples tested in laboratories and using Field Testing Kits (FTKs) during 2021-22, are at Annex–I.
(b) District-wise details of water samples tested in laboratories and using FTKs in Tamil Nadu during 2021-22, are at Annex–II.
(c) As reported by States/ UTs, as on 13.12.2021, State/ UT-wise details of women trained to conduct water quality testing using FTKs/ bacteriological vials are at Annex–III.
(d) To make provision of potable tap water supply in adequate quantity, of prescribed quality and on regular & long-term basis to every rural household by 2024, since August, 2019, Government of India in partnership with States, is implementing Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) – Har Ghar Jal including in water quality-affected habitations.
Under Jal Jeevan Mission, while taking up schemes to make provision of potable tap water supply to rural households, priority is given to quality-affected habitations. Since planning, implementation and commissioning of piped water supply schemes in quality-affected habitations takes time, purely as an interim measure, States have been advised to install community water purification plants (CWPPs) to provide safe water to @ of 8-10 litre per capita per day for drinking and cooking purposes especially in Arsenic and Fluoride affected habitations. Children being more susceptible to water-borne diseases and contamination in drinking water, on 2nd October, 2020, a special campaign was launched to make provision of potable tap water supply in schools, anganwadi centres, ashramshalas, etc. on priority basis. As a result, provision of tap water supply has become available in 8.32 lakhs (81%) schools and 8.75 lakhs (78.3%) anganwadi centres of the country.
Under JJM, States/UTs can utilize upto 2% of their annual allocation of funds under JJM for Water Quality Monitoring & Surveillance (WQM&S) activities inter alia which includes setting up and strengthening of water quality testing laboratories, procurement of equipment, instruments, chemicals, glassware, consumables, hiring of skilled manpower, surveillance by community using field test kits (FTKs), awareness generation, educational programmes on water quality, accreditation/ recognition of laboratories, etc.
Under JJM, 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. To enable States/ UTs to test water samples for water quality, and for sample collection, reporting, monitoring and surveillance of drinking water sources, an online JJM–Water Quality Management Information System (WQMIS) has been developed in partnerships with Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), which is in public domain. The State–wise details of water quality test reported on WQMIS is in public domain on JJM Dashboard and can also be accessed at:
https://neer.icmr.org.in/website/main.php .
This portal also provides automated alerts to concerned authorities in States/ UTs, if the water sample tested is contaminated, to initiate remedial actions. To encourage water quality testing to ensure potable drinking water supply, States/ UTs have been advised to open water quality testing laboratories to general public at a nominal rate for testing of their water samples.
States/ UTs have been advised to identify and train 5 persons preferably women in each village from local community viz. ASHA workers, health workers, VWSC members, teachers, etc. to conduct water quality tests using FTKs/ bacteriological vials at village level and report the same on the portal.
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