In the five years under audit, the Union and state governments budgeted Rs 89,956 crore or close to Rs 900 billion for about 1.2 million schemes.
The CAG audit finds that coverage of rural habitations increased by only 8 per cent at 40 lpcd and 5.5 per cent on the basis of 55 lpcd during 2012-17.
Instead of 100 per cent coverage as planned, “44 per cent of rural habitations and 85 per cent of government schools and anganwadis provided access to safe drinking water”.
Similarly, instead of the 50 per cent target, only 18 per cent of rural population was provided potable drinking water through pipes and only 17 per cent of rural households were given household connections.
“While the percentage of fully covered rural habitations to the total habitations with 40 lpcd increased from 69 (2013) to 77 per cent (2017), the coverage increased from 39 per cent in April 2013 to 44 per cent in April 2017 based on the norms of 55 lpcd,” says the audit report.
2,212.44 crore.” Under the programme, every village has to have a water security plan besides similar plans at district and state levels to not only target the programme effectively but also involve local communities for sustainable management of structures created.
But 21 states have not prepared such plans showing a fundamental failure in implementation of the scheme.
The National Drinking Water and Sanitation Council (NDWSC), set up in 2010, that is supposed to be the nodal body to coordinate the scheme between the Union ministries and the state governments for speedy implementation.
Now, CAG says given this state of implementation, India might not meet the Sustainable Development Goals on drinking water coverage by 2030.
Govt’s new assessment tool will find out We are a voice to you; you have been a support to us.

The PSA applied for $200,000 in grant funds from the Virginia Department of Health, but the application was denied.
“It’s inexplicable.
Part of Fairview Road already has public water access, but the water line doesn’t extend all the way through the Fairview community.
To find the needed $500,000 in grant money, the PSA is requesting funds from the Coalfields Water Development Fund (CWDF), LENOWISCO and the VDH.
“We have talked with their staff.
When Dishman asked VDH why it denied the PSA’s funding request, VDH responded that Scott County “has too many projects going on with their funding.” “It doesn’t make sense,” Dishman said.
“Fairview is a project that VDH should want to happen as soon as possible because of the health issues out there, and they normally want to participate in projects with other agencies.” What’s next?
Dishman said the PSA hopes to get as much funding as it can from the CWDF and LENOWISCO to get the project back on track.
In the meantime, the BOS agreed to write a letter to elected officials and to VDH reiterating the need for the project.
“I don’t think that’s a reason to penalize us on this project.”

The National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) has fallen far short of its goal to provide all rural homes with access to safe drinking water by 2017, despite ₹81,168 crore spent over five years, according to a performance audit by the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India tabled in Parliament on Tuesday.
The programme promised access to safe drinking water for all homes, piped water supply to half of the rural population and household connections for 35% of the homes.
Instead, by December 2017, only 44% of the homes had access to safe drinking water at all, while only 18% of the population had piped water supply and 17% of the homes had household connections.
During the 2012-17 period, the overall coverage of rural habitations with access to at least 55 litres of water per person per day increased by a mere 5.5%, the report said.
In its review of the NRDWP’s performance, the CAG said: “Implementation of the scheme was marked by lack of proper planning and funds management and delivery, as well as ineffective execution of works that resulted in undue delays and expenditure.” The allocation of Central government funds for the scheme dipped sharply from 2015, and the States were unable to compensate [the shortfall] by increasing their own financial commitment to the scheme.
Allocation of Central government funds dropped from more than ₹14,000 crore a year to less than ₹7,000 crore in 2015, but the CAG notes that even the reduced allocations were not fully utilised.
The total financial implication of the audit findings works out to ₹2,875 crore, which is a “very significant” 15% of the expenditure of ₹19,151 crore covered during the CAG’s test check of scheme management and implementation.
The audit found incomplete, abandoned and non-operational works, unproductive expenditure on equipment, non-functional sustainability structures and gaps in contract management.
The CAG also highlighted sustainability concerns, noting that 98% of the schemes, including those for piped water, continued to be based on unsustainable groundwater resources.

The CAG has picked several holes in the National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) saying lack of planning and funds management resulted in incomplete works for providing safe drinking water to rural habitations, schools and anganwadis.
In its audit report tabled in Parliament on Tuesday, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) said only 44 per cent of rural habitations, 85 per cent of schools and anganwadis were provided with access to safe drinking water during 2012-17 when the target was to achieve 100 per cent.
Similarly, only 18 per cent of rural population was provided with potable drinking water (55 litre per capita per day- lpcd) by piped water supply when the target was 50 per cent.
It said the coverage increased by only 8 per cent at 40 lpcd and 5.5 per cent at 55 lpcd during 2012-17 despite the expenditure of Rs 81,168 crore.
As the target was to provide water connections to 35 per cent of rural households, the Water Ministry could achieve just 17 per cent, says one of the highlights of the audit.
The CAG attributed the programme’s failure to achieve the targets partly to deficiencies in implementation such as incomplete, abandoned and non-operational works, unproductive expenditure on equipment, non-functional sustainability structures and gaps in contract management that had a total financial implication of Rs 2,212.44 crore.
It also said the social audit of the programme to measure beneficiary level satisfaction was not conducted.
"Hence the overall monitoring and oversight framework lacked effectiveness and there was inadequate community involvement in this exercise," it said.
spk/qd/sed (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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In 2017, Cape Town’s Responsible Tourism agency distributed dark blue signs reading “Don’t Waste A Drop!” at the city’s airport and in certain hotels.
“[The problem] has to do with understanding the value of natural systems,” Sandford said.
Most city water management systems worldwide require collaboration between local and state governments.
Only at the peak of a severe drought in Connecticut in 2016, Kirchhoff said, did the state’s officials realized its infrastructure wasn’t prepared for such a weather event.
But what about all of the cities and states that have never dealt with natural floods and droughts, that are keeping climate change on the backburner?
When the area was first settled in the 1400s, water management was the very first system of governance, and the rest of its political structure emerged from these water boards.
Twenty-two water boards manage, control, and plan water management practices across the country.
In an area as large as the U.S., successful water management has to involve sharing money, data, and resources between federal and local governments.
If all water management is on a local level, then it’s very difficult to understand the body of water as a whole and plan for long-term changes that are a result of climate change.
But [with climate change], I still think though that there’s not enough consideration.”

Her 16 square meter house is at the foot of a forest and is surrounded by a garden of taro.
Muga Aukuso, 46, from Savaia Lefaga had sought refuge in her house from the rain, when the Samoa Observer called in.
At the moment we seek water from our neighbouring families, where we take buckets to be filled with water so we can have sufficient supply,” she said.
“But I’m both grateful and sad at the same time because we do not want to be a burden on them but we are blessed that they are so kind to us.” The house caters for six: Muga and her husband, their three children and a grandchild.
“I am so thankful to my husband for his hard work in providing for our family, but because his work as a carpenter depends on the demand and need for houses to be built that is why it is unstable.
There are times when there is no work offered so we have no choice but to wait but we are blessed when there is an opportunity for work,” she said.
A power pole stands 150 meters away from the house and power lines going to the southern coast of Upolu can be seen from Muga’s house.
But with the little money we can get we budget really well for food and daily necessities but water is a big struggle,” Muga added.
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While visiting Parchment, where high levels of PFAS forced 3,100 people to drink bottled water, the governor said it’s "premature" to determine if the health advisory should drop.
Sunday, Snyder visited one of several sites where the city of Kalamazoo is connecting its water system to Parchment to bring residents to clean drinking water in the near future.
Contamination was found in Parchment as part of a statewide testing initiative Snyder launched by in 2017, which is discovering the toxic compounds in water supplies across Michigan.
Snyder was not in Michigan to declare the July 29 state of emergency, so Lt. Gov.
Two rounds of DEQ tests showed highly contaminated water entering the municipal water system from three source wells.
The latest test showed one well was contaminated with PFOS and PFOA, two PFAS compounds, at levels more than 26 times greater than the EPA health advisory.
Officials see it as a possible source of the PFAS contamination.
Dean said there are other industrial sites are being considered possible sources.
State officials are still working to determine how long the drinking water may have been contaminated.
Last week, results of tests at 15 water pumping stations serving the Kalamazoo municipal drinking water system found between 2 parts per trillion and 19 ppt of PFOS and PFOA in three stations.

By Dale Leibach for The Island Connection With an estimated 844 million people with inadequate and unsafe water countries such as India, Mexico and Ghana come to mind.
Whatever the reason for having to use well water – anti-development fervor or state and local financial constraints – the situation is dire for many residents.
To address this critical situation on Wadmalaw, the Water Wellness Mission raises funds and arranges the installation of new wells and filtration systems to those families in need.
Wells polluted by septic tanks and even dead animals has rendered many existing wells unsafe for drinking water.
He emphasizes that Wadmalaw Island residents have no access to water and depend on neighbors and family members to provide this most basic of necessities.
This year, the 2018 Alan Fleming Senior Open Clay Court State Championship (October 3–7) on Seabrook Island has designated the Sea Islands Blessing Basket as its charity.
The Fleming charitable fundraising efforts have raised more than $40,000 in each of the past 5 years.
Due to the critical need on Wadmalaw Island, an additional fundraiser, Margaritas and Mulligans, hopes to raise additional funds for the water mission.
To date, thanks to the generosity of donors, the Water Wellness program has provided wells to 33 Wadmalaw Island residents.
For more information about SIHAF, visit FightIslandHunger.org.

Turkish buses ply streets of Guinean capital A fleet of buses Turkey gifted Guinea are now plying the streets of the capital Conakry, the Turkish ambassador said.Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Hatice Nur Sağman, head of the Turkish diplomatic mission in Guinea, said that some of the buses provided by the Turkish government started running in Conakry as of August 1, while the rest of the buses would start their service soon.Fifty city buses were presented by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to Guinean President Alpha Conde during a visit to Guinea in March 2016.
"The buses along with spare parts started being delivered by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality with the support of the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) to the competent authorities in the country in July 2016," she said.Sağman noted that the operations and management of the buses were given to a Turkish company in accordance with an agreement made with the Conakry Municipality.
"The buses were foreseen to be used by 6,000 people but reached 10,000 passengers due to the intense interest of the people," she added.
Sağman emphasized that this act will strengthen friendly relations between the two countries and open the way for more comprehensive joint projects in the future.TIKA’s Guinea Coordinator Ismail Gurlek said that after the maintenance, repair and technical training provided by the Turkish expert team, the 20 buses with the pilot scheme started its 28-kilometer route from Autonome Port of Conakry to Dabompa.Turkish students volunteer in Niger, Tanzania, DjiboutiGürlek also added that TIKA is working hard to realize more useful projects in the country.During Erdoğan’s visit to Guinea, nine agreements were signed between the two countries in the fields of tourism, aviation, medicine, military, electricity, hydrocarbons, mining, environmental control and works council.Guinea was the last stop in Erdoğan’s four-nation tour of West Africa.
He visited the Ivory Coast, Ghana and Nigeria before arriving in Guinea in 2016.Nearly 150 Turkish businesspeople joined Erdoğan during his tour.

Koraput: Even as the nation is about to celebrate Independence Day this month, a village in Malkangiri district with a population of 300 has got access to clean drinking water after inauguration of the Gurupriya bridge.
For Janbai village which was cut off for around six decades the bridge is not just a connection to the mainland, but is also a milestone in development.
A blueprint was prepared to ensure implementation of development programmes in Swabhiman Anchala a week after Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated the Gurupriya bridge and declared a package of Rs 100 crore for Malkangiri to take up infrastructure projects, said Collector Manish Agarwal.
Janbai emerged as an island after the creation of the Balimela dam reservoir, a joint venture of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.
Till date, the villagers were dependent on rainwater.
The bridge helped in moving a rig to the village last Tuesday and the process of digging 24 tube wells in nine villages began.
The first tube well came up in front of the primary health centre in Janbai in Badapada panchayat.
The Collector said the survey for the Panasput-Jodamba road is over and soon construction will start to connect and the survey for the road between Mukiput and Jamuguda will also start soon.
Agarwal said the package of Rs 100 crore will be utilised to change the face of the cut off region by ensuring development in key sectors like healthcare, communication, drinking water and electrification.
“We are also trying to provide better livelihood sources,” he added.