New Delhi, Aug 30 (IANS) Only about 400,000 villages of a total of 1.6 million -- or just about one in four -- in India have partial drinking water facility, the Rajya Sabha was informed Tuesday.


“Against a total of 1,664,186 habitations...477,426 habitations have been partially covered with adequate and safe drinking water supply,” said Minister of Drinking Water and Sanitation Jairam Ramesh in a written reply.

The government has allocated Rs.40,150 crore (over $8 billion) for water supply in rural areas in the Eleventh Five Year Plan.

In the first four years, “against a target of 653,798 habitations, the states have been able to cover 529,967 rural habitations with adequate and safe drinking water supply”, he said.