Drinking water supply is a State subject. For improving the coverage of safe drinking water to rural population, the Government of India supplements the efforts of the States by providing them with technical and financial assistance through the centrally sponsored scheme Jal Jeevan Mission.
Under Jal Jeevan Mission, all States/ UTs have been advised to take water quality training of departmental stakeholders, Gram Panchayat and/ or its sub-committee, i.e. VWSC/ Pani Samiti/ User Group, etc.; awareness generation on water quality issues, water-borne diseases and health impacts; behavioral change communication on – ‘strictly avoiding water from quality-affected source’; inter-personal communication on importance of good quality drinking water in nutrition; audio-visual publicity on ill effects of consuming contaminated water, importance of sanitary inspection, process of getting private water quality sources tested, etc.
Further, up to 2% of allocated funds can be used by states for Water Quality Monitoring and Surveillance (WQM&S) activities which inter-alia includes setting up of and upgrading existing Water Quality Laboratories at various levels, providing chemicals and consumables to laboratories etc.
Every State/ UT has been requested to identify and train 5 persons preferably women in each village viz. ASHA workers, health workers, VWSC members, teachers, etc. to conduct water quality testing using FTKs/ bacteriological vials at village level. States/ UTs have also been advised to take requisite measures for making available adequate number of FTKs/ bacteriological vials at village level. As reported by States/ UTs, as on 21.07.2023, more than 22.42 lakh women have been trained for water quality testing using FTKs. So far, more than 167.20 lakh samples have been tested through FTKs.
The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act was enacted in 1974 to provide for the prevention and control of water pollution, and for the maintaining or restoring of wholesomeness of water in the country. Further, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has stipulated General discharge standards and industry specific effluent discharge standards under Environment Protection Rules, 1986 so as to prevent pollution of the water bodies.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Shri Prahlad Singh Patel in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.
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AS