Report on provision of potable drinking water supply to arsenic and fluoride affected habitations, 12/05/2020
Affidavit by Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ministry of Jal Shakti in compliance to the directions as contained in the National Green Tribunal order of January 28, 2020 in the matter of Sunita Pandey & Others Vs Union of India & Others dated 12/05/2020. The matter relates to provision of potable drinking water supply to arsenic and fluoride affected habitations.
The report mentioned that a letter from the Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation dated February 12, 2020 was sent to Chief Secretaries of all states having arsenic affected habitations to take necessary action to improve the provisions of potable drinking water supply in arsenic affected habitations and to prepone the time lines to December 31, 2020 for total remedial measures and to make alternate arrangements for supply of safe drinking water to inhabitants of affected areas in the interim period. The states were directed to submit their compliance report by March 31, 2020.
Further, a letter dated February 28, 2020 from the Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation was sent to all arsenic affected states to prioritize provision of potable water in quality affected areas. As an interim measure, it was suggested that community water purification plants (CWPPs) should be taken up to provide 8-10 litre per capita per day (lpcd) potable water to meet drinking and cooking needs of every household residing in such affected areas. The states were asked to submit their action taken reports by April 30, 2020 for onward submission to the NGT.
To review and expedite the implementation of water quality in arsenic and fluoride affected habitations, 16th Apex Committee meeting was convened on March 3, 2020 under the chairmanship of Secretary, Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation. During the meeting, the progress of coverage of arsenic affected habitations was reviewed with the representatives of Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. During the meeting, 90 eligible project proposals covering 76 arsenic-affected habitations and 275 fluoride-affected habitations with eligible central share of ₹ 78.92 crore was approved under NWQSM.