No evidence to show water pollution main cause of cancer: Govt

Even as around 11 lakh cancer cases occur in India every year, the available evidence is not enough to conclude that steep rise in water pollution is the main cause of the disease, the government today said.

In a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha whether rise in water pollution is the main cause for cancer, Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said, "The available evidence is not enough to conclude that steep rise in water pollution is the main cause of cancer.

"The total number of people affected and the deaths every year because of drinking polluted water is not known since this information is not maintained centrally."
 

He said rural water supply is a state subject and the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation supplements the efforts of states by providing them with technical and financial assistance under the centrally sponsored National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) for providing safe and adequate drinking water facilities in rural areas.

"A budgetary provision of Rs 11,000 crore has been made for the NRDWP in 2013-14. Up to 67 per cent of the NRDWP funds allocated to states can be utilised for tackling water quality problems in rural areas of the country," Azad said.