A SURVEY by the Rajiv Gandhi National
Drinking Water Mission, ministry of
rural development revealed that 78 per
cent of the 2,769 habitations in 18 districts of Uttar Pradesh lacked safe
sources of drinking water. The study,
assessing the position of potable water in
the rural residences, was done in the
western part of the state excepting
Sitapur.
The report said most of the
tubewells have been out of order over
six months. Scanty rain, little groundwater recharge and heavy pumping
for irrigation were lowering the
water level, decreasing it by a foot every
year. If the recharge capacity is not
immediately increased the rural
drinki -ng water system will collapse.
The worst affected area is along the
banks of Chambal river. A bucket of
water is sold at Rs 12 there during summer. At this rate it would be impossible
to stop people from migrating to other
regions and states in search of potable
water.
Already, contrary to the census
reports, lots of villages were found uninhabited. Interestingly, India's stated
position in the UN is that it has provided
safe drinking water to 75 per cent of its
households.
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