Question : Special Package for Drinking Water

(a) whether the Government proposes to provide special package for the States so as to resolve the drinking water issues during the summer season and if so, the details thereof;
(b) the details of funds sanctioned by the Union Government for the protection and conservation of drinking water resources during each of the last three years and the current year, State/UT-wise;
(c) whether the Government proposes to give priority for the protection of drinking water resources from pollution and contamination and if so, the details of the action taken/proposed to be taken in this regard;
(d) whether the Government proposes to identify and conserve drinking water resources from pollution and if so, the details thereof and the action taken/proposed to be taken in this regard; and
(e) whether the Government has conducted any study regarding the pollution of drinking water resources and if so, the details and outcome thereof?

MINISTER OF STATE FOR DRINKING WATER AND SANITATION
(SHRI S.S.AHLUWALIA)
(a) No Madam. As per restructured National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP), funds under NRDWP are released on the basis of pre-approved criteria and there is no provision of giving special package to states.
(b) Under restructured NRDWP, there is no provision of giving funds for protection and conservation of drinking water resources. However, States are advised to spend the fund from their own resources on the protection and conservation of drinking water resources. Further, before restructuring of NRDWP, there was a provision of maximum 10 % of NRDWP funds to be earmarked for sustainability component wherein state may spend the fund for protection and conservation of drinking water resources. State-wise details of sustainability fund sanctioned under NRDWP is at Annexure.
(c) to (e) Drinking water resources are not separate. Rural drinking water supply department draws the water from the common source (available for other Sectors such as Agriculture, Commerce and Industry). The custodian of water resources are Ministry of Water Resources, R&D & GR and regulating agency for check on its pollution is Central Pollution Control Board. Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation has no role in this regard. However upto 5% of the funds released under National Rural Drinking Programme can be utilized for Water Quality Monitoring and Surveillance which inter-alia include taking up works relating to setting up of new/up-gradation of State/District/Sub-division/Block level/Mobile water qualitative testing laboratories providing field test kits/refills to Gram Panchayats etc. As on 5.3.2018, 1,29,082 Nos. of Sanitary Survey has been conducted and 4,34,954 drinking water sources have been tested. Out of which, 68,372 sources are found to be contaminated.