New Delhi, February 12 Under the Jal Jeevan Mission, 2,870 water quality testing laboratories are functioning across the country as of February 2026 to ensure safe drinking water for every rural household, Jal Shakti Minister C R Patil said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha on Thursday.
Responding to questions regarding the analysis of the potability of groundwater, Patil said that the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) and state governments conduct such analysis on a regular basis through their established laboratories for various quality parameters and contaminants such as electrical conductivity (EC), fluoride, nitrate, heavy metals, etc.
He added that under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), being implemented by the Jal Shakti Ministry in partnership with states with the aim of providing safe drinking water to every rural household of the country, the Bureau of Indian Standards' BIS:10500 standards have been adopted as a benchmark for the quality of water being supplied.
"Moreover, as reported by states/UTs, as of February 2026, there are 2,870 water quality testing laboratories (which covers groundwater sources as well) functioning across the country," Patil said.
"Also, an online JJM-Water Quality Management Information System (JJM-WQMIS) portal has been developed for efficient monitoring and reporting of sample collection, testing, and surveillance of drinking water," he added.
Patil stated that additionally, in order to empower communities to monitor water quality, state/UTs have also been advised to identify and train five persons, preferably women, in every village to conduct water quality testing using Field Testing Kits (FTKs).
So far, around 24.80 lakh women have been trained across the country, out of which around eight lakh women are actively updating their reports on the WQMIS portal, the ministry highlighted.
Emphasizing the states' role, he outlined that the responsibility of taking initiatives to mitigate groundwater contamination and to provide safe drinking water to citizens lies primarily with the state governments.
"However, to complement the efforts of the state governments, several steps have been taken by the Central government to address these issues," Patil said, mentioning initiatives such as the dissemination of groundwater quality data, quick action by stakeholders, and aquifer-mapping studies among others.
