Dr.

Vikas Gupta
Junior Resident
Deptt. Of Community Medicine
PGIMS, Rohtak
 Next to air, water is a necessity of life. We
cannot live without it for more than a few day,
just as without air we cannot live for more than
a few minutes. Therefore, as in case of air
naturetohas
Next air,provided
water isus awith ample amount
necessity of life.of
We
water. Drinking
cannot water it
live without must
for be pure…..
more than a few
day, just as without air we cannot live
MAHATMA for
GANDHI.
more than a few minutes. Therefore, as in
case of air nature has provided us with
ample amount of water. Drinking water must
be pure…..
MAHATMA GANDHI.
• INTRODUCTION
• PROBLEM STATEMENT: WORLD AND INDIA
• FRAMEWORK FOR SAFE DRINKING WATER
• GUIDELINE VALUES
• PROGRAMMES FOR SAFE WATER
• In 1981, 34th WHA in a resolution emphasized that safe
drinking water is a basic element of “primary health”
care which is a key to the attainment of “health for all”.

• A report prepared by the World Health Organization in

cooperation with the World Bank showed that in 1975,
some 1230 million people were without safe water
supplies. These appalling facts were central to the
United Nations decision to declare an International
Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation decade,
beginning in 1981.
• Further, the VI Five-Year Plan of India(1980-85) had made a
special provision for availability of safe Drinking water for
the masses. Therefore, the standard was prepared with the
objective of assessing the quality of water resources, and to
check the effectiveness of water treatment and supply by
the concerned authorities.
• Routine surveillance of drinking water supplies must be
carried out by the relevant authorities to understand the
risk of specific pathogens and to define proper control
procedures.
• Precautions/care should be taken to prevent contamination
of drinking water from chlorine resistant parasites such as
cryptosporidium species and giardia.
• Free from pathogenic agents and harmful
chemical substances and excessive amount of
minerals which could produce undesirable
physiological effects,
• Pleasant to the taste i.e. free from colour and
odour and
• Usable for domestic purposes.
Further, the VI Five-Year Plan of India(1980-85) had made a special
provision for availability of safe Drinking water for the masses.
Therefore, the standard was prepared with the objective of assessing
the quality of water resources, and to check the effectiveness of water
treatment and supply by the concerned authorities.

Safe water pleasant to taste, odour, colourless, and does not stain
clothes and utensils.

A per capita availability of less than 1700 cubic metres (m3) per year is
termed as a water-stressed condition while per capita availability below
1000 (m3) per year is termed as a water scarcity condition.
Rural Urban
≥40Lpcd, piped supply
source should without
be - 1.6 Km sewerage – 70
and <100 m Lpcd
elevation
difference in piped supply
hilly area with sewerage
– 135Lpcd
1 hand
pump/250
persons+ 30L metropolitan
additional – 150 Lpcd
water in
DDP(desert
developmant
public stand
programme)
post- 40Lpcd
for cattle
3L •Drinking

5L •Cooking

7L •Washing utensils/ house

15L •Bathing

10L •Ablution/ toilets

 Domestic Domestic use
use 8% 8% Domestic use
11%
Industrial use
10%
Industrial Agricultural
use 22% use 30%

Agricultural use Agricultural

70% use 82% Industrial use
59%
Water-associated infectious diseases claim up to 32 lac lives
each year, approximately 6% of all deaths globally and the
loss of greater than 750 lac healthy life years.

The lack of adequate sanitation and safe water has

significant negative health impacts including diarrhoea,
referred to by travellers as the "Delhi Belly" and experienced
by about 1 crore visitors annually.
 DALYs (000s) by diarhoeal disease in WHO Regions, estimates for 2004
35000
30000
25000
20000
15000
10000
5000
0
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF CHOLERA AND ENTERIC DISEASES, KOLKATA
 •
•
TARGET 7.C : Halve the INDICATOR 7.8 :
proportion of people Proportion of population
GOAL 7 : Ensure without sustainable with sustainable access
•
environment stability. access to safe drinking
water and basic
to an improved water
source in urban and
sanitation by 2015 . rural.
• Over the past 21 years, > 210 crore people gained access to
improved drinking water sources since 1990, exceeding the
MDG target.

• The proportion of the global population using improved

sources reached 89% in 2010, up from 76% in 1990.

• Drinking water coverage has increased in all regions except

the Caucasus and Central Asia. There, coverage rates
dropped from 89% in 1990 to 86%in 2011.

• Despite unprecedented progress, 76.8 crore people still

drew water from an unimproved source in 2011.
• 83% of the population without access to an improved drinking
water source (63.6 crore) live in rural areas.

• 38% of the 620 crore people globally using an improved drinking

water source do not enjoy the convenience and associated health
and economic benefits of piped drinking water at home.

• It is encouraging to note that the share of people relying on

untreated surface water as their main drinking water source
dropped from 6% in 1990 to 3% in 2011.

• Still, over 18 crore people rely on rivers, streams, ponds or lakes to

meet their daily drinking water needs.
Current Situation: >10% of the world's
population do not have access to safe drinking
water.

40% do not have sufficient water for adequate

living and hygiene.

By 2050, water scarcity will affect 200 to 700

crore people out of total 930 crore.
India with 16% of the world's population has
only 4% of the fresh water resources.

Per capita availability of fresh water in India

has dropped from 1816 cubic meters 2001
census,was to 1545 cubic meters as per the
2011 census and is estimated that it will be
833 in 2025 and 899 in 2050
Source Percentage of population

Piped drinking water 39-42% Rural 28%

Urban 71%

Handpumps 39-42% Rural 47.3%

Urban 20.8%

Wells 19%

Surface water 3%
In many rural areas, women still have to
walk a distance of about 2.5 kms to reach
the source of water.

On an average, a rural woman walks

more than 14000 km a year just to fetch
water. Water source being open dug well,
the quality of water is poor; dirty, saline
and has turbidity.
 Management plan
and monitoring
plans - describing
A system of
Health-based System Operational actions to be taken
independent
targets assessment monitoring in normal
surveillance
operation and
incident
conditions
 Health • Measures reduction in detected disease incidence
or prevalence.
outcome • Microbial or chemical hazards with high measurable
disease burden largely water associated. For eg.
targets Flouride.

Water quality • Established for individual drinking-water

constituents that represent a health risk from long-
targets term exposure and where fluctuations in
concentration are small or occur over long periods.
(WQTs) • Expressed as guideline values (concentrations) of
the substances or chemicals of concern.
Performance
targets

Specified
technology
targets
 What is Water safety plans?

It comprises of the three essential actions that

are the responsibility of the drinking-water
supplier in order to ensure that drinking-water is
safe.
System Effective Management
assessment. operational
monitoring;
and
The primary objectives of a WSP in ensuring good drinking-
water supply practice are :

Prevention of
Reduction or removal
Minimization of contamination during
of contamination
contamination of storage, distribution
through treatment
source waters. and handling of
processes.
drinking-water.

Guided by health-based targets and overseen through drinking-water supply surveillance.

 • Multidisciplinary team of experts with a thorough understanding of the drinking
water system.
1.

• For eg. engineers, catchment & water managers, water quality specialists,
environmental or public health or hygienist professionals, operational staff and
2. representatives of consumers.

• Provides an overview description of the drinking-water system, including

characterization of the source, identification of potential pollution sources in the
catchment, measures for resource and source protection, treatment processes,
3. storage and distribution infrastructure.
Objectives of operational monitoring are :
1. For the drinking-water supplier to
monitor each control measure in a timely
manner to enable effective system management
and
2. To ensure that health-based targets are
achieved.
Parameters used in operational monitoring

• Turbidity
For source • UV absorbency
• Algal growth

waters • Flow and retention time

• Colour, conductivity and local meteorological events

• Disinfectant concentration and contact time

• UV intensity

For treatment • pH
• Light absorbency
• Membrane integrity
• Turbidity and Colour

In piped • Chlorine residual monitoring -- A sudden disappearance of an otherwise stable

residual can indicate ingress of contamination.
distribution • Faecal indicator bacteria
• Pressure measurement and turbidity are also useful in operational

systems monitoring.
• Effective management implies definition of actions to
be taken in response to variations that occur during
normal operational conditions; of actions to be taken
in specific incident situations where a loss of control of
the system may occur; and of procedures to be
followed in unforeseen and emergency situations.

• Management procedures should be documented

alongside system assessment, monitoring plans,
supporting program and communication required to
ensure safe operation of the system.
• “The continuous and vigilant public health assessment and review of the safety
and acceptability of drinking-water supplies”
(WHO, 1976).

• Done by independent agency (state public health department).

• Investigates the activity and identifies the corrective or preventive measures and
gives feedback to water supplying agency.

• This surveillance contributes to the protection of public health by promoting

improvement of the quality, quantity, accessibility, coverage, affordability and
continuity of water supplies (known as service indicators).

• Complementary to the quality control function.

 Regular collection of
water samples and
Regular testing of testing of water Regular interaction Monitor water
residual chlorine at samples for E. coli or with supplying borne diseases for
consumer level. thermotolerant agency. early warning.
bacteria and
coliform count.
 Contd.

Training of
Monitor community
Education of
outbreaks of Sanitary members and Intersectoral
safe water to
water borne inspection. PRI for home coordination.
people
diseases and well
chlorination.
 • On-site inspection and evaluation by
qualified individuals of all conditions,
Sanitary devices, and practices in the water supply
system that pose an actual danger to the
inspection health and well being of the consumers.

Water • Minimum level of analysis should include:

• Testing for indicators for faecal pollution.

sampling • Turbidity
• Chlorine (residual)
• pH
and analysis
• For establishing a baseline status in the country,

1. It is suggested that all district and sub-district

level water quality testing laboratories conduct
drinking water quality analysis once each in pre-
monsoon and post-monsoon seasons in a year for
chemical parameters and bacteriological

2. And then subsequently monitor only those

parameters which are found to be present or the
concentrations nearing the desirable limits.
• Representative of the different sources from which water is
obtained by the public or enters the system.

• Representative of the conditions at the most unfavourable

sourcesThere are about 50 lakh reported public drinking water
sources in the country.

• Considering many unreported and/or private sources, the total

number of drinking water exceed 60 lakh.

• If these are to be tested twice in a year (for bacteriological analysis)

and once a year (Pre-monsoon) for chemical analysis, 120 lakh
water samples have to be tested in the country in a year.
• As reported by States, about 1,869 district and sub-district water testing
laboratories (including labs other than PHED labs) exist in the country, though
many of them are still not fully functional.

• If all such laboratories are made fully functional and considering a capacity of
3,000 samples to be tested in a year per laboratory, the number of sources that
could be tested in a year would be 3,000x 1869 = 56 lakh samples i.e. about 50%.

• Under National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP), provision for setting
up new sub-district level laboratories has been made to bridge the gap.

• Further, the decentralized Water Quality Monitoring & Surveillance Programme

started in the year 2005-06 envisages indicative testing of all drinking water
sources (both public and private) using simple field test kits and only positively
tested samples to be referred to District and Sub-district water testing laboratories
for confirmation.
POPULATION SERVED No. OF MONTHLY SAMPLES

<5000 1

5000-100,000 1/5000 population

>100,000- 500,000 1/10,000 population +10 additional samples

>500,000 1/10,000 population +50 additional samples

Analytic Test Method of sample collection

For General Analysis • 2 litre (non-acidified).

• Collected in clean glass stoppered bottles–
WINCHESTER QUART BOTTLES.
• Rinse three times with water before filling.
• Stored at low temperature(40C)

For Bacteriological Analysis • 250 ml in sterilized bottles.

• Add sodium thiosulphate, if sample
contains chlorine.
• Should not be opened before filling.
• Collect sample.
• Examine or keep in ice until analyzed.
• Iced sample should be analysed within 48
hrs after collection.

For Metals Analysis 1000 ml acidified sample for metal analysis.

• The State level laboratory shall concentrate on analysis
of specific parameters of local importance like :

1. pesticides, toxic substances,

2. bacteriological and virological parameters, Poly

Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH), Poly Chlorinated
Biphenyls (PCB),

3. Disinfection bi-products like Tri Chloro Methanes

(TCM), etc.
• To ensure that water services meet agreed
national standards & institutional targets.

• To provide valuable information:

1. Quality of source of water.
2. Efficiency of treatment and water quality
variables.
3. Natural and seasonal variations.
4. Identifies need for taking remedial action.
 • Acceptability aspects includes: PHYSICAL PARAMETERS AND
1. INORGANIC CONSTITUENTS

• Microbiological aspects includes:

• A. Bacteriological indicators (1) Coliform organisms (2) Faecal streptococci
(3) Cl. Perfringes
2.
• B. Virological aspects
• C. Biological aspects

3. • Chemical aspects

4. • Radiological aspects
 Indian Standard
Drinking Water - Specification
IS 10500 : 2012(Second Rivision)
Colour, Hazen Units
IS 10500-2012 Desirable : 5 Hz. , Permissible : 15 Hz.

Risks or effects Visible tint, acceptance decreases

Tannins, Iron, Copper, Manganese

Sources
Natural deposits

Treatment Filtration, Distillation, Reverse osmosis, Ozonisation

Odour
IS 10500-2012 Unobjectionable

Risks or effects Rotten egg, Musty, Chemical

Chlorine, Hydrogen sulphide, Organic matter, Septic

Sources
contamination, Methane gas

Treatment Activated carbon, Air stripping, oxidation, Filtration

Turbidity
IS 10500-2012 Desirable: 1NTU, Permissible : 5NTU

Risks or effects Interfere with Disinfection

Sources Due to particulate matter

Treatment Activated carbon, Air stripping, oxidation, Filtration

pH

IS 10500- Desirable :6.5 – 8.5, Permissible

2012 :6.5 – 8.5

Low pH - corrosion, metallic

Risks or taste
effects High pH – bitter/soda taste,
deposits

Sources Natural

Increase pH by soda ash

Treatment Decrease pH with white vinegar
/ citric acid
Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)
IS 10500-2012 Desirable : 500 mg/l , Permissible : 2000 mg/l

Hardness, scaly deposits, sediment, cloudy colored water,

Risks or effects
staining, salty or bitter taste, corrosion of pipes and fittings

Livestock waste, septic system

Landfills, nature of soil
Sources
Hazardous waste landfills
Dissolved minerals, iron and manganese

Treatment Reverse Osmosis, Distillation, deionization by ion exchange

Hardness
IS 10500-2012 Desirable :200 mg/l , Permissible : 600 mg/l

Risks or effects Scale in utensils and hot water system, soap scums

Dissolved calcium and magnesium from soil and aquifer

Sources
minerals containing limestone or dolomite

Treatment Water Softener Ion Exchanger , Reverse Osmosis

Alkalinity
IS 10500-2012 Desirable : 200 mg/l , Permissible : 600 mg/lit

Low Alkalinity (i.e. high acidity) causes

deterioration of plumbing and increases the
Risks or effects
chance for many heavy metals in water are
present in pipes, solder or plumbing fixtures.

Pipes, landfills
Sources
Hazardous waste landfills

Treatment Neutralizing agent

Iron
IS 10500-2012 Desirable : 0.3 mg/l , Permissible : 0.3 mg/l

Brackish color, rusty sediment, bitter or metallic taste, brown-

Risks or effects
green stains, iron bacteria, discolored beverages

Leaching of cast iron pipes in water distribution systems

Sources
Natural

Treatment Oxidizing Filter , Green-sand Mechanical Filter

Manganese
IS 10500-2012 Desirable : 0.1 mg/l , Permissible : 0.3 mg/l
Brownish color, black stains on laundry and
Risks or effects fixtures at .2 mg/l, bitter taste, altered taste of
water-mixed beverages

Landfills
Sources
Deposits in rock and soil

Ion Exchange , Chlorination, Oxidizing Filter , Green-sand

Treatment
Mechanical Filter
Sulphate
IS 10500-2012 Desirable : 200 mg/l, Permissible : 400 mg/l
Bitter, medicinal taste, scaly deposits, corrosion, laxative
Risks or effects effects, "rotten-egg" odour from hydrogen sulphide gas
formation

Animal sewage, septic system, sewage

Sources By-product of coal mining, industrial waste
Natural deposits or salt

Sulphate Treatment Ion Exchange , Distillation , Reverse Osmosis

Nitrate
IS 10500-2012 Desirable : 45 mg/l, Permissible : 45 mg/lit
Risks or effects Methemoglobinemia or blue baby disease in infants

Livestock facilities, septic systems, manure lagoons,

Household waste water,
Sources Fertilizers,
Natural Deposits,

Treatment Ion Exchange, Distillation, Reverse Osmosis

 Cl
Chloride
IS 10500-2012 Desirable : 250 mg/l , Permissible : 1000 mg/l

High blood pressure, salty taste, corroded pipes, fixtures and

Risks or effects
appliances, blackening and pitting of stainless steel

Fertilizers
Sources Industrial wastes
Minerals, seawater

Treatment Reverse Osmosis , Distillation, Activated Carbon

Fluoride

IS 10500-2012 Desirable : 1.0 mg/l, Permissible : 1.5 mg/l

Risks or effects Brownish discoloration of teeth, bone damage

Industrial waste
Sources
Geological
Activated Alumina, Distillation, Reverse Osmosis, Ion
Treatment
Exchange
Fluorosis
Arsenic
IS:10500-2012 Desirable: 0.01 mg/l Permissible: 0.05mg/l

Weight loss; Depression; Lack of energy; Skin and nervous

Risks or effects
system toxicity

Previously used in pesticides (orchards)

Improper waste disposal or product storage of glass or
Sources
electronics, Mining
Rocks

Activated Alumina Filtration, Reverse Osmosis, Distillation,

Treatment
Chemical Precipitation, Ion exchange, lime softening
Chromium
IS 10500-2012 Desirable : 0.05 mg/l, Permissible : 0.05 mg/l

Skin irritation, skin and nasal ulcers, lung tumors,

gastrointestinal effects, damage to the nervous system and
Risks or effects
circulatory system, accumulates in the spleen, bones, kidney
and liver

Septic systems
Sources Industrial discharge, mining sites
Geological

Treatment Ion Exchange, Reverse Osmosis, Distillation

Copper

IS 10500-2012 Desirable : 0.05 mg/l, Permissible : 1.5 mg/l

Anemia, digestive disturbances, liver and kidney damage,

Risks or effects gastrointestinal irritations, bitter or metallic taste; Blue-green
stains on plumbing fixtures
Leaching from copper water pipes and tubing, algae
treatment
Sources
Industrial and mining waste, wood preservatives
Natural deposits
Treatment Ion Exchange, Reverse Osmosis, Distillation
Cyanide
IS 10500-2012 Desirable : 0.05 mg/l, Permissible : 0.05 mg/l

Risks or effects Thyroid, nervous system damage

Fertilizer
Sources Electronics, steel, plastics mining

Treatment Ion Exchange, Reverse Osmosis, Chlorination

 Hearing
Brain
Problems
Nerve
Damage

Digestive Issues

Stunted Growth

Lead
IS 10500-2012 Desirable : 0.01 mg/l, Permissible : 0.01 mg/l
Reduces mental capacity (mental retardation), interference with
Risks or effects kidney and neurological functions, hearing loss, blood
disorders, hypertension, death at high levels

Paint, diesel fuel combustion

Sources Pipes and solder, discarded batteries, paint, leaded gasoline
Natural deposits

Ion Exchange, Activated Carbon , Reverse Osmosis,

Treatment
Distillation
Mercury
IS 10500-2012 Desirable : 0.001 mg/l, Permissible : 0.001 mg/l

Loss of vision and hearing, intellectual deterioration, kidney

Risks or effects
and nervous system disorders, death at high levels

Fungicides
Batteries, fungicides
Sources
Mining, electrical equipment, plant, paper and vinyl chloride
Natural deposits

Treatment Reverse Osmosis, Distillation

Zinc
IS 10500-2012 Desirable :5 mg/l, Permissible : 15 mg/l

Risks or effects Metallic taste

Leaching of galvanized pipes and fittings, paints, dyes

Sources
Natural deposits

Ion Exchange Water Softeners, Reverse Osmosis,

Treatment
Distillation
Total Coliform Bacteria
IS 10500-2012 Nil in 100ml sample

Risks or effects Gastrointestinal illness

Livestock facilities, septic systems, manure lagoons

Sources Household waste water
Naturally occurring

Treatment Chlorination , Ultraviolet, Distillation, Iodination

E.coliform Bacteria
IS 10500-2012 Nil / 100ml

Risks or effects Gastrointestinal illness

Livestock facilities, septic systems, manure lagoons

Sources Household waste water
Naturally occurring

Treatment Chlorination , Ultraviolet, Distillation, Iodination

Total Coliform Bacteria and
E.coliform Bacteria
E.Coliform or Thermotolerant Bacteria
Nil / 100ml(Drinking Water, Water entering distribution System,
Distribution System)
Total coliform bacteria
IS 10500-2012 Nil / 100ml(Drinking Water, Water entering distribution System,
Distribution SystemIn case of large supplies, where sufficient
samples are examined, must not be present in 95% of any samples
taken throughout 12mths period.)

Risks or effects Gastrointestinal illness

Livestock facilities, septic systems, manure lagoons
Sources Household waste water
Naturally occurring
Treatment Chlorination , Ultraviolet, Distillation, Iodination
Radioactive Susbstance(α and β activity)
IS 10500-2012 0.5Bq/l and 1.0Bq/l respectively

Risks or effects Mutations, Cancers

Constituents Max limit (μg/L)
ORGANIC CONSTITUENTS
Carbon tetrachloride 2

Dichloromethane 20

Vinyl chloride 55

1.1-dichloroethane 30

1.2-dichloroethane 50
AROMATIC HYDROCARBON
Benzene 10
Toluene 700
Xylenes 500
Ethyl benzene 300
Styrene 20
Benzolalpyrene 0.7

Aldrin 0.03
Chlordane 0.2
DDT 2
2,4-D 30
Heptachlor 0.03
Hexachlorbenzene 1
Lindane 2
Methoxychlor 20
Pentachlorophenol 9
• 1949 The Environment Hygiene Committee (1949) recommends the
provision of safe water supply to cover 90 per cent of India’s population in
a timeframe of 40 years.

• 1950 The Constitution of India confers ownership of all water resources to

the government, specifying it as a state subject, giving citizens the right to
potable water.

• 1969 National Rural Drinking Water Supply program launched with

technical support from UNICEF and Rs.254.90 crore is spent during this
phase, with 1.2 million bore wells being dug and 17,000 piped water
supply schemes being provided.

• 1972-73 Introduction of the Accelerated Rural Water Supply Program

(ARWSP) by the Government of India to assist states and union territories
to accelerate the pace of coverage of drinking water supply.
 Drinking Water Supply Programs &
Policies at a Glance
• 1981 India as a party to the International Drinking Water Supply and
Sanitation Decade (1981-1990) declaration sets up a national level Apex
Committee to define policies to achieve the goal of providing safe water to
all villages.

• 1986 The National Drinking Water Mission (NDWM) is formed.

• 1987 Drafting of the first National Water Policy by the Ministry of Water
Resources.

• 1991 NDWM is renamed the Rajiv Gandhi National Drinking Water

Mission(RGNDWM).

• 1994 The 73rd Constitutional Amendment assigns Panchayati Raj

Institutions (PRIs) the responsibility of providing drinking water.
• The focus of the Rajiv Gandhi National Drinking Water Mission
(RGNDWM) was to adopt a community-based demand-driven
approach instead of the hitherto government forced supply driven
approach.

• In doing so, the projects under RGNDWM are basically community

participation oriented in nature – with a part (minimum of 10% of
the proposal) of the capital cost required to be borne by the
community themselves.

• The balance amount is contributed by the Government of India.

 Drinking Water Supply Programs &
Policies at a Glance
• The Rajiv Gandhi National Drinking Water Mission (RGNDWM) had
set a target of extending access to safe drinking water for 100
percent of the rural population by 2007.

• Although this target has not been fully achieved, the expansion of
coverage attained during the 1990s, as reflected in the Census data,
shows the objective of 100 percent safe water access should not be
difficult to achieve in the next five years or so.

• Indeed, the Eleventh Five Year Plan (2007-08 to 2011- 12) foresees
the provision of safe drinking water to all rural habitations.
 Drinking Water Supply Programs &
Policies at a Glance
• 1999 For ensuring sustainability of the systems, steps are initiated
to institutionalize community participation in the implementation
of rural drinking water supply schemes through sector reform.

• Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC) as a part of reform principles

initiated in 1999 to ensure sanitation facilities in rural areas with
broader goal to eradicate the practice of open defecation. As part of
the program, a nominal subsidy in the form of incentive is given to
rural poor households for construction of toilets.

• TSC gives strong emphasis on Information, Education and

Communication, Capacity Building and Hygiene Education for
effective behavior change with involvement of PRIs and NGOs.
 Drinking Water Supply Programs &
Policies at a Glance
• 2002 Nationwide scaling up of sector reform in the form of
Swajaldhara. The National Water Policy is revised,
according priority to serving villages that did not have
adequate sources of safe water and to improve the level of
service for villages classified as only partially covered.

• India commits to the Millennium Development Goals to

halve by 2015, from 1990 levels, the proportion of people
without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic
sanitation.

• 2004 All drinking water programs are brought under the

umbrella of the RGNDWM.
• 2005 The Government of India launches the Bharat
Nirman Program for overall development of rural areas
by strengthening housing, roads, electricity, telephone,
irrigation and drinking water infrastructure.

• The target is to provide drinking water to 55,069

uncovered habitations; those affected by poor water
quality and slipped back habitations based on 2003
survey, within five years.
 Drinking Water Supply Programs &
Policies at a Glance

• 2007 Pattern of funding under the Swajaldhara Scheme changes

from the previous 90:10 central-community share to 50:50 centre-
state share. Community contribution is now optional.

• The approach paper for the 11th Five Year Plan calls for a
comprehensive approach which encompasses individual health
care, public health, sanitation, clean drinking water, access to food
and knowledge about hygiene and feeding practice.
• The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation (until 2011
the Department of Drinking Water Supply in the Ministry of
Rural Development) is responsible for rural water supply
and sanitation.

• The Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation and

the Ministry of Urban Development share the responsibility
for urban water supply and sanitation.
• There are about a 100,000 rural water supply systems in
India.

• At least in some states, responsibility for service provision is

in the process of being partially transferred from State
Water Boards and district governments to Panchayati Raj
Institutions (PRI) at the block or village level.

• Blocks are an intermediate level between districts and

villages).