Question : Shortage of Potable Water

(a) whether the Government is aware that there is a acute shortage of clean drinking water in rural/urban areas of the country and also the water from the hand pumps are highly contaminated in these areas;

(b) if so, the details thereof including the steps taken in this regard, particularly in Andhra Pradesh;

(c) whether the Government is providing financial and technical assistance to the States to provide potable water to the rural population especially in Andhra Pradesh; and

(d) the funds released to arsenic and fluoride affected States for installation of Community Water Purification Plants and commissioning of piped water supply schemes?

MINISTEROF STATEIN THE MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI
(SHRI RATTAN LAL KATARIA)

(a) to (c) A very large population have access to potable drinking water. As reported by States/ UTs, as on 27.02.2020, 81.63% rural habitations having 77.31% population are fully covered with provision of 40 litre or more per capita per day (lpcd) and 15.39% rural habitations having 19.36% population are partially covered, i.e. with provision of less than 40 lpcd whereas 2.98% rural habitations having 3.33% population are having water sources with quality issues.

Rural water supply is a State subject. Government of India supplements the efforts of States/ UTsincluding Andhra Pradesh by providing financial and technical assistance through the centrally sponsored scheme Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) which aims at providing potable water to every rural household with Functional Household Tap Connection (FHTC) at service level of 55 litre per capita per day (lpcd) by 2024. The estimated outlay of the Mission is Rs. 3.60 lakh Crore out of which Central share is of Rs. 2.08 lakh Crore.An amount of Rs. 372.64 crore has been released to Government of Andhra Pradesh during the current financial year 2019-20.

It is States who plan, approve & implement drinking water supply schemes. While allocating the fund under JJM to States/ UTs, 10% weightage has been given to the population residing in habitations affected by chemical contaminantsincluding Arsenic and Fluoride affected habitations.

(d) In March 2016, with the recommendation of NITI Aayog, an amount of ?1,000 Crore was released to various Arsenic & Fluoride affected States for installation of Community water purification plants and commissioning of piped water supply schemes.

Further, 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 under Jal Jeevan Mission, to provide safe drinking water to 27,544 Arsenic/ Fluoride affected rural habitations in the country.

State-wise details of fund released to Arsenic and Fluoride affected States ‘with recommendation of NITI Aayog’ and under NWQSM is at Annexure.

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