Current Affairs WaterProblems: Nearly 1.44 lakh rural habitations across the country with ground-water based drinking water sources are affected by chemical contaminants like arsenic, fluoride, salinity, iron and nitrates. These habitations remain to be covered with safe drinking water supply.  State-wise and UT-wise distribution of the remaining quality affected habitations are at Annex-1.The consumption of drinking water with excess arsenic and fluoride over a prolonged period could result in various diseases. Bacteriological contamination of drinking water could result in diseases like diarrhoea and dysentery.

State-wise number of water quality affected habitations remaining to be covered reported as on 27/7/2010

S.No. Name of the State/UT Total habitations Fluoride Arsenic Iron Salinity Nitrate
1 ANDAMAN and NICOBAR 0 0 0 0 0 0
2 ANDHRA PRADESH 810 611 0 0 199 0
3 ARUNACHAL PRADESH 223 0 0 223 0 0
4 ASSAM 18659 248 719 17692 0 0
5 BIHAR 24420 4157 1590 18673 0 0
6 CHANDIGARH 0 0 0 0 0 0
7 CHATTISGARH 8838 18 0 8747 65 8
8 DADRA & NAGAR HAVELI 0 0 0 0 0 0
9 DAMAN & DIU 0 0 0 0 0 0
10 DELHI 0 0 0 0 0 0
11 GOA 0 0 0 0 0 0
12 GUJARAT 547 186 0 0 170 191
13 HARYANA 36 32 0 0 4 0
14 HIMACHAL PRADESH 0 0 0 0 0 0
15 JAMMU AND KASHMIR 5 0 0 0 5 0
16 JHARKHAND 1878 409 22 1446 0 1
17 KARNATAKA 8791 3084 34 4018 1000 655
18 KERALA 1018 109 0 662 194 53
19 LAKSHADWEEP 0 0 0 0 0 0
20 MADHYA PRADESH 3358 2906 0 97 349 6
21 MAHARASHTRA 4122 1426 0 901 570 1225
22 MANIPUR 5 0 0 5 0 0
23 MEGHALAYA 121 1 0 120 0 0
24 MIZORAM 0 0 0 0 0 0
25 NAGALAND 165 0 0 165 0 0
26 ORISSA 17668 639 0 15408 1593 28
27 PUDUCHERRY 4 0 0 4 0 0
28 PUNJAB 104 7 0 6 91 0
29 RAJASTHAN 34880 10788 8 60 23168 856
30 SIKKIM 0 0 0 0 0 0
31 TAMIL NADU 972 20 0 669 278 5
32 TRIPURA 7002 0 0 7002 0 0
33 UTTAR PRADESH 2087 530 856 500 199 2
34 UTTARAKHAND 17 1 3 11 0 2
35 WEST BENGAL 8334 959 3316 3546 513 0
TOTAL 144064 26131 6548 79955 28398 3032

The Department of Drinking Water Supply under the Ministry Of Rural Development is implementing National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) and Jalmani.  Under NRDWP, rural habitations are covered with provision of adequate safe drinking water.  Under NRDWP, Rs. 6441.63 crore in 2007-08, Rs. 7298.78 crore in 2008-09 and Rs. 7989.72 crore in 2009-10 have been spent. As per available data as on 30.7.2010, in the online IMIS maintained by the Department, 11.85 crore people have been benefited from the above scheme in the period 2009-10.  Jalmani programme was launched in 2008-09 to provide safe and clean drinking water in rural schools by installing Standalone Water Purification systems.  Under Jalmani, in 2008-09 Rs. 99.99 crore and in 2009-10, 100 crore has been released to States to cover 1 lakh rural schools. Under the scheme, as on 27/7/2010, as reported by the States in the online Integrated Management Information System (IMIS), 27,643 rural schools have been covered, benefiting more than 85 lakh students since 2008-09.