Question : CONTAMINATED DRINKING WATER

(a) whether the level of fluoride, arsenic and other contaminants in drinking water supplied in the major metropolitan areas are within the prescribed standards;

(b) if so, the details thereof and if not, the details of the extent to which such contamination levels have risen over and above the prescribed minimum tolerance limit;

(c) whether the Government regularly monitor the quantity and quality of the supply of drinking water in the urban areas;

(d) if so, the details thereof; and

(e) the steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government for supply of safe drinking water in the urban areas including major metropolitan cities?

THE MINISTER OF URBAN DEVELOPMENT (SHRI M. VENKAIAH NAIDU)

(a) to (d): The supply of drinking water in urban areas including metropolitan cities within the water quality parameters/norms and its routine checking/ monitoring is responsibility of Urban Local Bodies (ULBs). No such case has been brought to the notice of Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD) where drinking water supplied in metropolitan cities is having levels of fluorides, arsenic and other contaminants above the prescribed norms.

(e) : In order to improve the situation of civic services (including water supply) in the urban areas including Metropolitan cities, Govt. of India (MoUD) has launched various schemes, which includes the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), Urban Infrastructure Development in Satellite towns / Counter Magnets of Million plus cities (UIDSST), 10% Lump Sum Scheme for benefit of North Eastern Region including Sikkim and ADB assisted “North Eastern Region Urban Development Programme (NERUDP).

MoUD has formulated the set of Standardized Service Level Benchmarks (SLBs) to improve the efficiency of service delivery including water supply. Further, MoUD have published Manual on Water Supply & Treatment and also Manual on Operation and Maintenance of water supply systems to assist ULBs in management of urban water supply as well as in its execution and operation and maintenance.