The agencies engaged in the supply of water to households in the towns, cities, and villages spread across the country should ensure that the water being supplied is safe for drinking purpose, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs said on Thursday.
"The government of India is targeting to supply piped water to every household by the year 2024. While we aim to achieve this target, it is also important that the water which is being provided to every household for drinking purpose is safe and devoid of health hazard," Consumer Affairs Secretary Avinash K Srivastava said in a letter issued to Chief Secretaries of all states and Union Territories.
The letter added: "It is thus the responsibility of the agencies engaged in the supply of water to households in the towns, cities, and villages spread across the country to ensure that the water being supplied meet the relevant standards and is safe for drinking purpose."
"The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), the National Standards Body set up by an Act of Parliament, has published an Indian Standard Specification for drinking water, IS 10500:2012 which prescribes the requirements and tests for drinking water," read the letter.
It continued: "Compliance to IS 10500 ensures that the water being supplied by Government agencies/local bodies to its citizens is safe for human consumption. It is, therefore, imperative to put in place the necessary infrastructure to facilitate the compliance of the relevant standard."
Requesting to institutionalize a mechanism to ensure the drinking water being supplied comply with the Indian Standard IS 10500 across the country, Srivastava said: "Since the quality of drinking water has a direct bearing on human health and safety, it calls for making drinking water standard mandatory.
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