Background Note About 85 % of rural population in India is solely depended on ground water, which is depleting at a fast rate.

In the urban areas though about 60% of the population is depended on surface water sources, the availability and quality are questionable. opulation growth results in a decline in the per capita availability of fresh water. !he situation concerning industrial supplies and agricultural de"and, which is the "a#or consu"er are "ore difficult to analy$e. !he supply of rural drin%ing water and require"ents for ecosyste"s conservation are sure to face an uncertain future unless anticipatory policy "easures are ta%en. &oreover, there is considerable spatial and te"poral variation in rainfall. 'o"e areas receive slight rainfall, whereas others e(perience "onsoon conditions, which often result in flooding, loss of life and increased poverty. Water Quality Problems 'o"e of the "a#or issues that need urgent attention are) As a result of e(cessive e(traction of ground water to "eet agriculture, industrial and do"estic de"ands, there is low drin%ing water availability during the critical su""er "onths in "any parts of the country. About *0 per cent of the rural and urban population does not have access to regular safe drin%ing water and "any "ore are threatened. &ost of the" depend on unsafe water sources to "eet their daily needs. &oreover, water shortages in cities and villages have led to large volu"es of water being collected and transported over great distances by tan%ers and pipelines. +he"ical conta"inants na"ely fluoride, arsenic and seleniu" pose a very serious health ha$ard in the country. It is esti"ated that about 80 "illion people in ,0 states are at ris%. Apart fro" this, increase in the concentration of chloride, !-', nitrate, iron in ground water is of great concern for a sustainable drin%ing water progra""e. All these need to be tac%led holistically. Ingress of seawater into coastal aquifers as a result of over.e(traction of ground water has "ade water supplies "ore saline, unsuitable for drin%ing and irrigation. ollution of ground and surface waters fro" agroche"icals /fertili$ers and pesticides0 and fro" industry poses a "a#or environ"ental health ha$ard, with potentially significant costs to the country. !he 1orld 2an% has esti"ated that the total cost of environ"ental da"age in India a"ounts to 3'45.6 billion annually, or 7.5 per cent of the gross do"estic product. 8f this, 55 per cent results fro" the health i"pacts of water pollution /1orld 2an% *5550.

Role of WHO 198 with its li"ited resources had been involved in various activities concerning drin%ing water quality and its "anage"ent. Apart fro" participation in various co""ittees and wor%shops constituted by govern"ent of India in last few years to handle drin%ing water quality issues, 198 India office has supported following activities in the country. 1ater 'upply and 'anitation +ountry Assess"ent :eport ,00,. 'trengthening state level public health laboratories for detection of e(cess fluoride and arsenic in drin%ing water. 8rgani$e training progra""es for state officials handling the water testing equip"ents. 8rgani$e training progra""es /6 nu"bers0 for field level "edical staff on fluorosis "itigation and patent "anage"ent through interventions. 'upport organi$ing ;ational 1or%shop on -rin%ing 1ater <uality 'urveillance. 'tudy on 'urveillance of -rin%ing 1ater <uality in eleven selected cities=towns in India. 'tudy on 'ocio.econo"ic, ecological and health i"pact of arsenic conta"ination of ground water sources and "itigation "easures i"ple"ented in affected villages. I"ple"entation &anual for ;ational :ural 1ater <uality 'urveillance rogra""e. -uring ,007.05, the wor% plan suggests following activities) Drinking Water is likely to be included under Prevention of Food Adulteration Act !"is #ill "el$ develo$ment of drinking #ater surveillance mec"anism #it" %oH&FW $laying t"e key role !wo areas in which household level interventions concerning water quality, food hygiene and personal hygiene are planned to be adopted through social "ar%eting approach. !echnical guidelines and support for the develop"ent of two protocols for arsenic and fluoride re"oval technologies and field test %its. Adaptation of revised 198 guidelines on drin%ing water quality.