Question : Funds for Drinking Water Projects

(a) whether the budgetary allocation for drinking water in rural areas has been decreasing since 2013-14 even as certain parts of the country reel under acute shortage of water for the second consecutive year and 13 States hit by an acute water shortage have not used funds allocated to them by the Centre for drinking water projects, if so, the details thereof;
(b) whether many projects already started were affected due to less Central assistance;
(c) if so, the details thereof and the response of the Union Government thereto; and
(d) the steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Union Government to increase its budgetary allocation for drinking water in rural areas and to ensure that the States use funds properly and timely ?

MINISTER OF STATE FOR DRINKING WATER AND SANITATION
(SHRI RAM KRIPAL YADAV)

(a) The Budgetary allocation of National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) during the year 2013-14 was Rs 9,700 crore , in the year 2014-15 it was Rs. 9,250 crores , in the year 2015-16 it was Rs. 4,373 crores and in the year 2016-17 it is Rs 5000 crores. However, under 14th Finance Commission , there has been an enhanced devolution of funds to the States , and the States share have been increased from 32% to 42%. All the States can utilize the enhanced funds received , for drinking water supply in rural areas in their respective States.

The 13 States namely Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Karnataka and Maharashtra, Gujarat, Haryana and Bihar which are facing crisis of drinking water are already having an amount of Rs. 2007.31 Crores available with them under NRDWP as on 01.05.2016. These States can utilize 10 % of this amount as flexi fund to take measures to mitigate the scarcity of drinking water in their States. In addition 15 % of the NRDWP allocation for O & M activities can be used for repair / rejuvenate the defunct schemes in the areas facing drinking water scarcity.

(b) & (c) The reduced allocation of funds under NRDWP to a certain extent have affected the ongoing projects in the State. The States have been asked to compensate the reduced Central allocation of funds from the enhanced devolution of funds to the States under Fourteenth Finance Commission. The states have also been directed not to take up any new schemes and instead focus only on the completion of ongoing schemes except the for coverage of arsenic and fluoride affected habitations and in Sansad Adarsh Grams . They have also been asked to explore new sources of funding through domestic as well as external lending agencies like World bank , Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), New Development Bank etc.

(d) The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation has been constantly pursuing the Ministry of Finance, Government of India (GoI) to consider the increase of budgetary allocation.