Question : Water Crisis

(a) whether any steps have been taken or are being taken by the Government to tackle India’s water crisis particularly in peri-urban areas across the country and if so, the details thereof;
(b) whether the Commercialisation of drinking water in India’s peri-urban areas has created water scarcity for local residents and if so, the facts thereof;
(c) whether India’s peri-urban areas need robust public infrastructure to deliver safe drinking water that ensures availability and minimise inequalities; and
(d) if so, the details thereof and the steps being taken by the Government in this regard?

MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI
(SHRI RATTAN LAL KATARIA)
(a) Yes Sir. Government of India has launched Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA), a water conservation campaign, which is being implemented in two phases in 256 water-stressed districts of the country. The Phase–I was implemented from 1st July, 2019 to 30th September, 2019 across the country and Phase–II is being implemented from 1st October, 2019 to 30th November, 2019 in the Southern States which receive retreating monsoon. During the campaign, officers, groundwater experts and scientists from the Government of India have worked with State and District officials in these districts to promote water conservation and water resource management by focusing on accelerated implementation of five target interventions, viz. water conservation & rainwater harvesting, renovation of traditional and other water bodies/ tanks, reuse and recharge of bore wells, watershed development and intensive afforestation. With this campaign, huge awareness has been generated and various stakeholders, viz. government departments, agencies, NGOs, officials, Panchayats, individuals, etc. have started taking steps for water conservation.
(b) Water supply and its regulation is a State subject and State Governments are responsible for its management including in peri-urban areas.
(c) & (d) Keeping in view the need of water supply infrastructure and service delivery, Government of Indiahas launched Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) with an outlay of Rs. 3.60 lakh crore, which aims at providing Functional Household Tap Connections to every rural household by 2024 at the service level of 55 litre per capita per day (lpcd). Under JJM, financial and technical support is extended to States/ UTsfor making potable drinking water available at the household level on regular basis in adequate quantity. Those peri-urban areas, treated as rural areas by the State, are covered under the Mission.
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