Over 11,300 habitations in 96 districts hit by water contamination: Parliamentary panel

New Delhi: A parliamentary panel has raised concerns over water contamination issue in the country, highlighting that 11,348 habitations in 96 districts across seven states have not been provided with short-term measures for pollutants such as iron, nitrate, and heavy metals.

In its report tabled in Parliament on Tuesday, the Standing Committee on Water Resources has urged the Centre to take swift action to ensure safe drinking water in these vulnerable regions.

The report further revealed that uranium contamination remains a pressing issue in Punjab, where 32 habitations across nine districts are affected. Despite interim measures in 22 of these areas, 10 habitations still await any mitigation efforts, it said.

The committee has called for urgent and long-term interventions to safeguard public health.

"The Committee notes that all arsenic and fluoride affected habitations have been covered by community water purification plants as an interim measure. However, they (panel) further observe that there are 11,348 quality affected habitations (iron, salinity, nitrate, and heavy metals) spread over 96 districts of seven states where short-term measures have not been provided," the report said.

The government has also extended the Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) Phase II until 2025-26, maintaining an annual budget of Rs 7,192 crore. This phase focuses on sustaining Open Defecation Free (ODF) status and achieving comprehensive solid and liquid waste management (SLWM) in rural India, the panel said.

As of January 2025, 5.62 lakh villages have declared themselves ODF Plus, with 4.21 lakh achieving the advanced 'Model' category. However, the committee raised concerns about underutilization of funds during the financial year 2024-25, where only 33 per cent of the revised budget was spent.

Delays in adopting the new 'just-in-time' fund release system, integrated with the Reserve Bank of India’s e-Kuber platform, have been cited as a major bottleneck, according to the report.

The Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation is planning a structural shift from a "Department-based" approach to a "service delivery" model that emphasizes community participation through "Jan Bhagidhari" (people's involvement), according to the report.

To ensure long-term sustainability and reliable water service delivery, the government plans to sign memorandums of understanding with states and Union Territory administrations, the report said.

The standing committee has emphasized the importance of better pre-budget planning to prevent drastic reductions at the revised estimate stage.

It has also called for increased efforts to accelerate water coverage and mitigate contamination, ensuring that the Jal Jeevan Mission and Swachh Bharat Mission meet their ambitious targets and improve quality of life in rural India.