Executive Summary:
This document is a response to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 4763 regarding water wastage under the Har Ghar Nal Se Jal scheme in rural areas, answered on August 21, 2025. It outlines the roles of the State and Union Governments in drinking water supply schemes, provisions for water conservation, and initiatives for greywater treatment and reuse under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) and Swachh Bharat Mission Grameen (SBMG) Phase II. The document emphasizes the importance of efficient water management and provides details on various schemes and technologies being implemented.
Key Points / Main Content:
* **Roles and Responsibilities:**
* Drinking water is a State subject; State Governments plan, approve, and implement drinking water supply schemes.
* The Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation provides financial, policy guidance, and technical assistance to States and Union Territories under JJM.
* State Governments undertake steps for augmentation, conservation, and efficient management of water resources.
* **Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) Provisions:**
* Focuses on drinking water source development/strengthening/augmentation.
* Includes infrastructure for bulk water transfer, treatment, and distribution in water-deficit/drought-prone/desert areas.
* Creation of in-village water supply infrastructure.
* Encourages dual piped water supply systems (fresh and treated greywater) in water-scarce areas for non-potable uses.
* Promotes the use of faucet aerators to save water.
* **Swachh Bharat Mission Grameen (SBMG) Phase II Initiatives:**
* Encourages and supports greywater treatment and reuse through decentralized household and community-level options.
* Employs low-cost options like soak pits, leach pits, and magic pits for groundwater recharge.
* Promotes direct reuse of greywater in kitchen gardens.
* Supports community-scale solutions such as leach pits, waste stabilization ponds, constructed wetlands, DEWATS, and SBT.
* Treated water can be reused for irrigation, landscaping, flushing, construction, groundwater recharge, aquaculture, and other rural applications.
Impact Analysis:
**State Governments:**
* *Impact:* Responsible for planning, approving, and implementing drinking water supply schemes. Required to undertake steps for water conservation and efficient management. Encouraged to implement dual piped systems and greywater treatment solutions.
* *Action Required:* Plan and execute water supply schemes, implement water conservation measures, and adopt greywater treatment and reuse initiatives.
**Households in Rural Areas:**
* *Impact:* Will benefit from improved water supply infrastructure and greywater management systems. Encouraged to use faucet aerators.
* *Action Required:* Utilize provided infrastructure efficiently, adopt water-saving practices (e.g., faucet aerators), and participate in greywater reuse initiatives (e.g., kitchen gardens).
**Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation:**
* *Impact:* Responsible for providing financial, policy guidance, and technical assistance to States and Union Territories.
* *Action Required:* Continue to support States and Union Territories in implementing JJM and SBMG Phase II, monitor progress, and provide necessary resources.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Jal Shakti: A ministry of the Government of India responsible for water resources and sanitation.
Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation: A department under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India, focused on providing clean drinking water and sanitation.
Har Ghar Nal Se Jal scheme: A Government of India scheme aimed at providing tap water to every rural household.
Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM): A mission under the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation to provide financial, policy guidance and technical assistance to the States and Union Territories for implementing their drinking water supply schemes.
Bihar: A state in eastern India, specifically mentioned in the policy regarding implementation of water schemes.
Swachh Bharat Mission Grameen (SBMG) Phase II: The second phase of a national mission focused on rural sanitation, including greywater management.
SHRI SUDHAKAR SINGH: The Member of Parliament who raised the question about wastage of water under the 'Har Ghar Nal Se Jal' scheme.
SHRI V. SOMANNA: Minister of State for Jal Shakti who provided the answer to the question about wastage of water under the 'Har Ghar Nal Se Jal' scheme.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI
DEPARTMENT OF DRINKING WATER AND SANITATION
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4763
ANSWERED ON 21/08/2025
WASTAGE OF WATER UNDER HAR GHAR NAL SE JAL SCHEME
†4763. SHRI SUDHAKAR SINGH:
Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:
(a) the quantum of water wasted under Har Ghar Nal Se Jal scheme in rural areas;
(b) the arrangements made for the disposal of the said water;
(c) whether the lack of water disposal system is causing new water born issues and if so, the
details thereof;
(d) whether the government has launched any special scheme or has made any provision for
water disposal in the rural areas;
(e) if so, the details thereof along with the names of such schemes implemented so far in the
country, particularly in Bihar;
(f) the details of the facilities provided thereunder along with funds spent so far; and
(g) whether the government proposes to introduce any integrated scheme in this regard in future
and if so, the details thereof?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI
(SHRI V. SOMANNA)
(a) to (g): Drinking water is a State subject and the power to plan, approve and implement
drinking water supply schemes/projects is vested in the State Government. Under Jal Jeevan
Mission (JJM), the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation provides financial, policy
guidance and technical assistance to the States and Union Territories for implementing their
drinking water supply schemes.
Water being a State subject, steps for augmentation, conservation and efficient management of
water resources are primarily undertaken by the respective State Governments. Under JJM,
provisions have been made for drinking water source development/ strengthening/
augmentation; and infrastructure for bulk transfer of water, treatment and distribution systems
in water deficit drought-prone and desert areas without dependable ground water sources, apart
from creation of in-village water supply infrastructure.
Page 1 of 2For villages in water-scarce areas, in order to save the precious fresh water, all States including
Bihar are also being encouraged to plan new water supply scheme with dual piped water supply
system, i.e. supply of fresh water in one and treated grey/ waste water in another pipe for non-
potable/ gardening/ toilet flushing use. Moreover, the households in these areas are to be
encouraged to use the faucet aerators that save a significant amount of water, in multiple taps
they may be using inside their house.
Further, under Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) [SBM-G] Phase II, multiple initiatives are
being implemented to encourage and support greywater treatment and reuse. These include
low-cost, decentralized household and community-level options such as soak pits, leach pits,
and magic pits, which are suited to diverse soil types and space availability in villages while
also contributing to groundwater recharge. Greywater is also promoted for direct reuse in
kitchen gardens to reduce freshwater demand. At the community scale, solutions such as leach
pits, waste stabilization ponds, constructed wetlands, Phyto rid, decentralized wastewater
treatment systems (DEWATS), and soil biotechnology (SBT) are promoted for adoption based
on population coverage, land availability, and local geography. The treated water from such
systems may then be productively reused for irrigation, landscaping, flushing, construction,
groundwater recharge, aquaculture, and other rural applications.
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