Speed Post News Network
New Delhi : The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation has informed that under the Scheme ‘National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) 10% of the total allocation of funds is earmarked to be used for the supply of drinking water to Scheduled Tribe (ST) dominated habitations. States have been directed to take special care for implementation of its scheme / programme in tribal areas and progress thereof is monitored through online integrated management information system (IMIS) of MDWS.
The status of availability of drinking water to tribal habitations is available in public domain at www.indiawater.gov.in/IMISReports/. As on March 21, 2018, there are 3,65,050 Scheduled Tribe (ST) dominated habitations in the country of which 3,01,858 (82.69%) habitations are fully covered with provision of safe drinking water supply while 53,090 (14.54%) habitations are partially covered.
Madhya Pradesh has the highest number of 55,770 tribal habitations fully covered with the safe drinking water in the country followed by Odisha 52,427, and Jharkhand 53,476 numbers of habitations.
In 2012-13 and 20 13-14, with the assistance of National Clean Energy Fund (NCEF) from the Ministry of Finance and NRDWP, 1 1,000 solar power based dual pump schemes were installed in Left Wing Extremist / Naxal Affected States with a view to making available safe drinking water to small rural tribal habitations in these areas through taps. In 2015-16, another 5,004 solar power based dual pump schemes were installed across the country with funding from NRDWP and assistance from Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).
As per the re-structured NRDWP guidelines, the focus is mainly on providing piped water supply to rural population eventually by 2030 to honour the commitment made by the country at the international forum while agreeing for United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2030 in respect of all rural areas of the country including tribal habitations. This information was given today by Union Minister of Tribal Affairs Jastwantsinh Bhabhor on March 27, 2018, in Lok Sabha.