Comptroller and Auditor General of India slams State for poor National Rural Drinking Water Programme implementation

Our Correspondent

Itanagar: The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) in its recent report has highlighted several shortfalls in the implementation and compliance of various schemes in Arunachal Pradesh.

The report which was tabled in the state legislative assembly during February this year criticised the state government for various loopholes in implementing the National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP).

The CAG report stated that as of March 2017, out of total 7,582 habitations only 2,910 habitations (38 percent) in the state were fully covered under the Centre’s programme that was formulated “to enable all rural households to have access to safe and adequate drinking water”.

Schools and Anganwadi centres in the state too had suffered under the NRDWP’s lax implementation as of compiling the report. It said that out of 3,480 schools and 5,515 anganwadis, only 2,898 schools and 1,043 Anganwadis had been provided with safe drinking water leaving a balance of 582 schools and 4,472 Anganwadis without provision of drinking water.

Water testing levels were also inadequate in the state, as per the CAG report, which said that the water quality testing laboratories were “functioning with inadequate manpower and shortfall of capability to analyse parameters” and that they “did not conform to the mandatory requirement”.

As of March 2017, the state laboratory had the capacity to examine only 38 out of 78 parameters whereas district laboratories of five sampled districts had the capacity to test only 10 out of 34 parameters as laid down in the ‘Uniform Drinking Water Quality Monitoring Protocol’ due to shortage of machines/equipment and trained manpower. The CAG also noted shortfall of staff in different level of posts.

“Out of 442 schemes approved during 2012-17 in sampled districts test checked, 407 schemes were completed, but the balance 35 schemes estimated to cost Rs 17.24 crore were lying incomplete as on 31 March 2017 for five to 60 months,” it said, adding that there was “doubtful expenditure of Rs 24.42 crore incurred on procurement of various types of Galvanised Iron (GI) fittings”.

It also said that there was a “huge shortfall” in allotment of funds provided for the ‘nutrition’ component.

As per guidelines, each adolescent girl is entitled to receive Rs five per day for nutrition but from 2012 to 2017, the actual allotment was between Rs 0.28 to Rs 1.96 per day.

Also read: Arunachal news