Over 36% of rural STs don't have drinking water source at home

Over 36% of the total 2.01 crore Scheduled Tribes (ST) households in rural India do not have drinking water source in their house, the government told the Rajya Sabha. The government also said that the budget allocation for implementing the National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) at present is less and this would be reviewed.

By 2022, the goal is to cover 90 % of rural households with piped water supply and 80 % of rural households with household connections, Drinking Water and Sanitation Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said during the Question Hour. As per Census 2011, 36.38 % of 2.01 crore ST rural households have their main drinking water source away from their house, he said.

Under NRDWP, 10 % of the total allocation of funds is earmarked to be used for the supply of drinking water to ST dominated habitations, he said.

The states have been directed to take special care for implementation of the schemes in tribal areas and report the progress separately on the online Integrated Management Monitoring System, he added.

Replying to another query raised by Tapan Kumar Sen (CPI-M) on poor fund allocation for NRDWP, Tomar said, "It is correct that the availability of funds is certainly less. We will still have time. We will review the programme and will provide sufficient funds."

The total budget for NRDWP is around Rs 5,000 crore for 2016-17 fiscal. The Centre has released Rs 213.57 crore to states till July 27 of this fiscal, he added. The Minister further said that the Centre has prepared a strategic plan for the rural drinking water sector for 2011-22, which stresses on extending the piped water supply to more households in the rural areas including tribal areas.