4.21 cr people risk due to chemical contamination of water

An estimated 4.21 crore population in the country may be at risk due to chemical contamination in drinking water, Government today said.
Minister of State for Drinking Water and Sanitation Bharatsinh Solanki said that of the 16,90,870 rural habitations in India, 78,757 have at least one drinking water source affected by chemical contamination like excess iron, fluoride, arsenic, salinity or nitrate.
He said an estimated 4.21 crore population in the country may be at risk due to chemical contamination in drinking water.
He was replying to a question by Jaya Bachchan in Rajya Sabha.
Poor quality of drinking water due to bacteriological contamination and unhygienic conditions may result in a variety diseases like acute diarrhoeal diseases, dysentery, cholera, typhoid, and Acute Encephalitis Syndrome, he added.

Out of total 171 districts affected with Japanese Encephalitis/Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (JE/AES), he said, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has identified 60 high priority districts in five states such as Assam, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, which are severely affected JE/AES.