Parl panel worried over rural drinking water supply

Expressing dismay over the status of rural drinking water supply, a parliamentary panel on Monday criticised the Centre for not providing adequate funds under this head in the 12th five year plan and said providing safe drinking water seemed to be a distant dream in the country.

In the report that comes in the backdrop of a drought in a number of states, the Standing Committee on Rural Development, headed by AIADMK leader P Venugopal, said, “The committee is dismayed to note that the most important sector of rural drinking water supply, directly affecting nearly half the population of the country, has been fund starved so far during the period of 12th plan.” 

Noting that the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation has not received adequate funds commensurate to its requirement, the committee said under National Rural Drinking Water Programme the actual allocation was “barely” Rs 33,823 crore, less than half of the proposed allocation of Rs 68,786 crore.

“The committee feels that with availability of less than half of the proposed amount for rural drinking water, the herculean task of providing safe drinking water seems to be distant, considering the magnitude of the task, ahead of attaining 50 per cent rural coverage by 2017 in drinking water,” the report said.

The panel said the water sector comprising 3.42 lakh partially-affected habitations and 59,881 quality covered habitations is “struggling with insufficient funds” during the 12th plan period even though the ministry came out with a strategic plan (2011-2021) for drinking water sector well before the commencement of the plan.

The committee noted that the budget of the ministry, which was Rs 10,500 crore during 2012-13 has been brought down to Rs 5,000 crore during 2016-17.