The National Level Monitoring team of the Ministry of Rural Development has said in its recent survey report that more than 75 per cent of the Piped Water Supply schemes are non-functional in 4 per cent of the villages that it visited in Anantnag, Doda, Kathua and Leh districts. The team visited 12 districts, 34 blocks and 120 villages of J&K in phase-I. The survey further said hand pumps were functional in only 54 per cent of the visited villages. Symptoms of water-borne disease such as frequent cases of loose motions, diarrhoea, cholera and typhoid were reported in 6 per cent of the villages visited. The survey said though the field testing kits were made available at the gram panchayat level to be used for primary detection of chemical and biological contamination of all drinking water sources but the kit was available in only 10 per cent of the visited villages. It added that of the 120 villages visited by the Union Ministry team, in none of the villages, the operations and maintenance cost of the water supply scheme was being provided by the village water and sanitation committee. The Water Supply Department/Physical Health Engineering Department is bearing the cost in 97 per cent of the villages. In 38 per cent of the villages, quality testing is done in laboratories. “Adoption of appropriate technology, revival of traditional systems, conjunctive use of surface and ground water, conservation, rainwater harvesting and recharging of drinking water sources have been emphasised in 78 per cent of the sample villages,” the survey said. The rural drinking water supply sector started in 1972-73 with the launch of the Accelerated Rural Water Supply Programme by the Centre. The second generation programme was launched in 1991-92 as the Rajiv Gandhi National Drinking Water Mission. With the involvement of community in planning, implementation and management of drinking water supply schemes, the sector reform projects came up in 1999-2000 as third generation programme which later turned to Swajaldhara 2002. To ensure sustainability of water availability in terms of potability, adequacy, convenience, affordability and equity with a decentralised approach, the fourth generation programme, the National Rural Drinking Water Programme, had came into force in April 1, 2009, with a vision “safe drinking water for all, at all times in rural areas”.