Arsenic and Fluoride Contamination in Drinking Water


As reported by States/ UTs, State-wise details of habitations having contaminants, including Arsenic and Fluoride, in drinking water sources beyond permissible limit are annexed.

To make provision of potable tap water supply in adequate quantity, of prescribed quality and on regular & long-term basis to every rural household in the country by 2024, since August, 2019, Government of India in partnership with States, is implementing Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) – Har Ghar Jal. Under JJM, while allocating the funds to States/ UTs, 10% weightage is given to the population residing in habitations affected by chemical contaminants.

Under JJM, while planning for potable water supply to household through tap water connection, priority is to be given to quality-affected habitations. Since, planning, implementation and commissioning of piped water supply scheme based on a safe water source may take time, purely as an interim measure, States/ UTs have been advised to install community water purification plants (CWPPs) especially in Arsenic and Fluoride affected habitations to provide potable water to every household at the rate of 8–10 litre per capita per day (lpcd) to meet their drinking and cooking requirements. Out of 1,657 rural habitations with reported Arsenic contamination beyond permissible limit in drinking water sources, CWPPs have been installed in 521 habitations to provide potable drinking water. Similarly, out of 908 habitations reported to have Fluoride contaminations beyond permissible limits in drinking water sources, CWPPs have been installed in 433 habitations to provide potable drinking water.

National Centre of Disease Control, an organisation under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has informed that technical guidelines for “Detection, Prevention and Management of Arsenicosis in India” and revised guidelines for the “National Program for Prevention and Control of Fluorosis” have been shared with the States affected by Arsenicosis and Fluorosis, respectively. IEC material for awareness of disease symptoms and prevention of Arsenicosis and Fluorosis have also been shared with the affected states.

This Information was given by the Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Shri Prahlad Singh Patel in a written  reply in Rajya Sabha today.

 

Annexure

State-wise number of habitations having contamination in drinking water sources beyond permissible limit and details of CWPPs installed in Arsenic and Fluoride affected habitations

 

S. No.

State/ UT

Number of quality-affected habitations

Fluoride

CWPP installed

Arsenic

CWPP installed

Iron

Salinity

Nitrate

Heavy metals

1.

Andhra Pradesh

82

82

6

1

2.

Arunachal Pradesh

224

3.

Assam

32

32

10,361

3

4.

Bihar

1

11

2

450

5.

Chhattisgarh

154

46

30

6.

Jharkhand

48

47

1

1

59

7.

Kerala

5

61

18

8

8.

Madhya Pradesh

37

2

16

5

2

9.

Maharashtra

3

6

34

7

10.

Odisha

45

2,031

30

6

11.

Punjab

180

11

560

94

7

19

112

12.

Rajasthan

188

151

4

9,773

463

13.

Tripura

1,052

14.

Uttar Pradesh

38

38

107

107

281

79

10

15.

Uttarakhand

2

2

16.

West Bengal

127

56

946

285

1,630

72

67

Total

908

433

1,657

521

16,214

10,017

518

182

Source: JJM-IMIS

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BY/AS



    Source PIB