New Delhi: More than 70,000 habitations in India do not have safe drinking water, the Lok Sabha was told.
“All the states have been advised to accord priority to providing safe drinking water in water quality affected habitations with special focus on coverage of arsenic and fluoride affected habitations,” Minister of State for Drinking Water and Sanitation Ramesh Chandappa Jigajinagi told the lower house of parliament on July 18.
In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, the minister said the country has 70,807 habitations where water is contaminated with fluoride, arsenic and heavy metals among others.
As per the data shared by the minister, Rajasthan has maximum 20,895 such habitations followed by Assam, Jharkhand and Bihar.
Water at more than 36,500 habitations is contaminated with iron. At almost 14,000 habitations, fluoride is present in water, the Economic Times reported.
As per the ministry’s plan, 90 percent of rural population would be provided safe drinking water by 2022 through surface water based piped water supply schemes, subject to availability of funds.