A recent nationwide assessment of tap water under the Jal Jeevan Mission has revealed a severe and uneven crisis in access to safe drinking water across rural Madhya Pradesh. The findings, which show some districts with perfect scores and others with none, highlight a critical public health challenge.
Stark Disparities in District-Wise Water Quality
The Union government's Functionality Assessment of Household Tap Connections 2024 surveyed 15,094 rural households between September and October last year. The results, released recently, paint a concerning picture. Water samples were tested for key safety parameters, including E. Coli and total coliform in accredited labs, with on-site checks for pH levels.
The district-wise data shows extreme variation. On one end, Alirajpur, Barwani, Jhabua, Narsinghpur and Sidhi reported 100% availability of potable water in the surveyed homes. On the opposite extreme, districts like Anuppur, Dindori, Panna, Rewa and Umaria recorded zero potable samples. Major urban centres fared poorly too: Indore district managed only 33% potable water, a level officials termed below acceptable. Gwalior (20.9%), Ashoknagar (21.9%), Morena (25.2%), and Ujjain (35.3%) also reported low levels. Bhopal (56.9%) and Jabalpur (54.3%) were closer to the halfway mark.
Operational Gaps and Under-Reported Safety Issues
The survey uncovered significant problems in service delivery beyond just water quality. It found that 23.4% of households did not receive a regular tap water supply, and a staggering 36.7% did not have functional taps at the time of the visit. Interestingly, only 3.7% of respondents expressed dissatisfaction with water quality, but nearly 22% said the quantity supplied was inadequate. This gap suggests that safety issues, which are not easily detectable by taste or sight, may be widely under-reported by consumers who are primarily concerned with availability.
Legacy of Groundwater Contamination in Indore
The current water safety crisis is not new for regions like Indore. A ground-level investigation by the Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board (MPPCB) in 2016-17 had already sounded the alarm. That study, covering 60 locations in areas including Bhagirathpura, tested samples from borewells and hand pumps.
The findings were alarming: total coliform levels exceeded 10 MPN per 100ml in nearly all samples. Scientists involved in that testing, speaking anonymously, stated such levels clearly indicated faecal contamination from sewage seeping into groundwater. "At this level, the water is unfit for human consumption," a retired scientist said. The MPPCB formally communicated these results to the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC), recommending that affected sources be declared unsafe. Suggested measures included installing warning boards and preventing sewage mixing with water lines, especially in areas with old infrastructure and poor drainage.
The report made it clear that persistent sewage contamination has rendered groundwater in large parts of Indore non-potable, a legacy issue that continues to challenge the mission of providing safe tap water to every rural household.
