Our Reporter
Dimapur, Feb. 7 (EMN): A total of 2,021 drinking water quality testing laboratories have been set up across India since the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) – Har Ghar Jal scheme was set up in 2019 with an aim to provide potable tap water supply in adequate quantity, of prescribed quality and on regular and long-term basis to every rural household in the country by 2024.
This was stated by the Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Prahlad Singh Patel, in a written reply in Rajya Sabha on Monday.
Under this scheme, 12 drinking water quality testing laboratories – one at state level, 10 at district level and one mobile – have been set up in Nagaland so far, according to the ministry.
Out of 2,021 drinking water quality testing laboratories set up across the country, 28 were set up at state level, 659 at district level, 1,270 at block/ sub-division level and 64 mobile.
Among the eight north-eastern states, Arunachal Pradesh has the highest number of drinking water quality testing laboratories with 112, followed by Assam (80), Meghalaya (31), Mizoram (27), Tripura (21), Manipur (13), Nagaland (12) and Sikkim (2).
According to the status of drinking water samples tested in laboratories from 2021 till date, Nagaland has collected 4,288 samples, out of which 4,133 samples were tested, 411 samples found to be contaminated and 373 remedial actions taken.
In Nagaland, drinking water samples from 893 villages were said to have been tested using Field Test Kit (FTK) during 2021-2022 (till date), out of which 20 samples were found to be contaminated and 19 remedial action taken.
According to the report from the Directorate General of Health Services, Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, a total of 59, 19,303 cases related to water-borne diseases were been reported in 2021, compared to 89,47,026 cases reported in 2020.
Out of the total cases reported last year, 59, 07,572 were acute diarrheal diseases; 209 cases of Cholera; 4,077 cases of Viral Hepatitis – A; 1,359 cases of Viral Hepatitis – E; and 6086 cases of Leptospirosis.
291 water bodies in Nagaland
The Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Bishweswar Tudu, stated in a written reply in Rajya Sabha on Monday that there are 5,16,303 water bodies used for minor irrigation in the country as per the 5th Minor Irrigation Census (2013-14).
The update stated that Nagaland has 291 water bodies used for minor irrigation.