Parliament Question: Arsenic-Free Piped Drinking Water in Nadia District

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI DEPARTMENT OF DRINKING WATER AND SANITATION LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3085 ANSWERED ON 07/08/2025 ARSENIC-FREE PIPED DRINKING WATER IN NADIA DISTRICT 3085. SHRI JAGANNATH SARKAR; Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government is aware that several areas under Ranaghat Lok Sabha Constituency in West Bengal, particularly Hanskhali and Krishnaganj in Nadia district are severely affected by arsenic contamination in groundwater; (b) if so, the details thereof along with the steps taken by the Government under the Jal Jeevan Mission and the National Water Quality Sub-Mission (NWQSM) to ensure piped supply of arsenic-free potable water to all households in these affected areas; (c) the number of villages in Hanskhali and Krishnaganj currently connected to piped drinking water supply with arsenic-free sources and the number of villages yet to be covered; (d) the timeline set for achieving hundred percent coverage of safe, piped drinking water supply in these arsenic-affected regions; and (e) whether any special financial allocation or technical intervention has been planned for this region considering its acute water quality crisis and if so, the details thereof? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI (SHRI V. SOMANNA) (a) & (b) The Ranaghat Lok Sabha constituency of West Bengal falls entirely under Nadia district of West Bengal. Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), an organisation under the D/o Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation generates ground water quality data including all the districts of West Bengal as a part of its ground water quality monitoring program and various scientific studies. The Annual Ground Water Quality Report – 2024 has been released by the CGWB which can be viewed at: https://cgwb.gov.in/cgwbpnm/public/uploads/documents/17363272771910393216file.pdf. Page 1 of 3As per above report, Nadia district is one of the districts in country in which anomalous values of Arsenic in Groundwater was detected more than 10 parts per billion (ppb) at one or more locations (As > 10 ppb). The Government of India launched the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) in August 2019 in partnership with States/UTs including West Bengal, to make provision of potable tap water supply in adequate quantity, of prescribed quality and on a regular & long-term basis to rural households in the country. Under JJM, while planning water supply schemes to provide tap water supply to households, priority is given to habitations affected by chemical contaminants including Arsenic. States/ UTs have been advised to plan and implement piped water supply schemes based on alternative safe water sources for the villages with water quality issues. Further, States/ UTs have been advised to install community water purification plants (CWPPs) especially in Arsenic and Fluoride affected habitations to provide potable water to every household to meet their drinking and cooking requirements (to the tune of 8-10 litres per capita per day) till the commissioning of piped water supply schemes compliant to JJM standards. Further, as reported by West Bengal, all the 57 Arsenic affected habitations have been provided with safe drinking water through CWPPs/ IHPs. Thus, all habitations in rural area of West Bengal are provided safe drinking water free from Arsenic contamination. The National Water Quality Sub-Mission (NWQSM) launched in March, 2017 as part of National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) was subsequently subsumed under JJM. (c) to (e) Drinking Water being a State subject, the responsibility of planning, approval, implementation, operation, and maintenance of drinking water supply schemes, including those under the Jal Jeevan Mission, lies with State/UT Governments. Under JJM, funds are released directly to the States/ UTs. The block-wise details of village with tap water connection reported on JJM-IMIS by the State of West Bengal for Nadia district including blocks of Hanskhali and Krishnaganj is annexed. To achieve the goal of the Mission with focus on quality of infrastructure and Operation & Maintenance of rural piped water supply schemes for long term sustainability and citizen centric water service delivery, Hon'ble Finance Minister during her budget speech 2025-26 has announced extension of Jal Jeevan Mission until 2028 with enhanced total outlay. Accordingly, a proposal, for continuation of Jal Jeevan Mission until 2028 with enhanced total outlay is under active consideration of the Government. ***** Page 2 of 3Annex Annex referred to in reply to part (c) to (e) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 3085 for reply on 07.08.2025 West Bengal, District -Nadia: Block -wise details of number of villages with FHTC coverage (as on 04.08.2025) Nos. of Villages with FHTC S. Nos. of Block 100% >= 90 to >= 80 to >= 70 to >= 50 to >=20 to >= 5 to > 0 to 0 No. Villages FHTC < 100 % < 90 % < 80 % < 70 % < 50 % < 20 % < 5 % FHTC 1. Chakdah 101 48 28 11 7 2 3 1 1 - 2. Chapra 79 53 7 7 2 3 3 2 1 1 3. Hanskhali 79 48 11 5 4 6 1 3 1 - 4. Haringhata 81 53 14 6 4 3 - - 1 - 5. Kaliganj 104 65 5 11 7 8 4 1 3 - 6. Kalyani 47 29 6 3 1 2 2 3 1 - 7. Karimpur-1 67 67 - - - - - - - - 8. Karimpur-ii 65 35 8 4 4 9 2 1 2 - 9. Krishnaganj 52 36 5 4 1 3 1 1 1 - 10. Krishnagar-i 90 42 19 7 6 6 3 2 5 - 11. Krishnagar-ii 44 15 5 8 7 4 3 1 1 - 12. Nabadwip 27 14 2 1 1 1 5 3 - - 13. Nakashipara 101 44 16 15 10 8 8 - - - 14. Ranaghat-i 64 30 5 6 7 6 4 3 2 1 15. Ranaghat-ii 113 70 11 14 6 9 2 - - 1 16. Santipur 62 48 - 1 1 3 3 2 1 3 17. Tehatta-i 55 33 8 7 3 2 1 - - 1 18. Tehatta-ii 32 17 6 4 1 2 1 - - 1 Total 1,263 747 156 114 72 77 46 23 20 8 Source: JJM-IMIS Page 3 of 3