By IANS
New Delhi : An action plan to provide total sanitation to all rural habitations by 2008 and pure drinking water by 2009, was discussed at a two-day conference here between the central and state governments.
"Our goal is to provide pure drinking water free of arsenic, fluoride and bacteria to all rural habitations in the country by 2009 and total sanitation to all by 2008," Minister for Rural Development, Raghuvansh Prasad Singh told state ministers and representatives at the conference, which concluded Thursday.
With arsenic, fluoride and iron being the major causes of contamination of ground water, the minister asked states to focus on the problem on a priority basis.
He asked the states to undertake effective convergence of government programmes like rural employment guarantee scheme, soil and water conservation programmes for protecting and strengthening existing water sources and creation of new water bodies.
The states were given a demonstration on the use of web-based Integrated Management Information Systems developed by the Department of Drinking Water Supply (DDWS).
A presentation was made by the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing on the use of geo-informatics for locating water sources and asset management.
Raising state specific issues such as presence of fluoride in Karnataka, Gujarat and Rajasthan, arsenic in West Bengal, Assam and Bihar, and iron in Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh, the states urged for revision in the funding pattern, especially for northeastern states and hilly regions.
With regard to sanitation, the minister emphasised that all schools should be covered on priority basis with community toilets where the people were willing to manage and maintain the assets created.
Responding to demands from states like Andhra Pradesh for increasing cost for construction of toilets, the minister said it would be considered but emphasised on the need for strict vigilance and monitoring, especially where the work has not started.
With West Bengal, Singh said that non-governmental organisations could be involved in rural sanitation and awareness creation for water management.
He stressed on the need for convergence with the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) for better health and sanitation in rural areas.