Who should answer for unsafe water or poor sanitation?

A new water connection is not the same thing as a reliable water supply. Neither an installation count nor a photograph of clear water establishes that the water meets the applicable safety standard.

For a local problem, begin by identifying the operator and the part of the service that failed. Water supply and sanitation appear in the Constitution's municipal subject schedule, but actual responsibility must be established under the relevant local arrangements. 1 2

Ask which result is being counted

When a programme reports “coverage”, read its definition. Does it count installed connections, functioning connections, households receiving water or a tested service level? Do not replace one of these with another in a headline.

For a supply interruption, useful records may include the operator's schedule, outage notice and maintenance response. For a water-quality claim, ask for the actual test report, sample location, collection date, parameters tested and applicable standard. A test from somewhere else or a different period may not answer your question.

These are records to look for, not a claim that every operator publishes all of them online.

A hypothetical village example

A project dashboard lists a completed water work, but residents report repeated interruptions. Both observations could be real: the work may have been constructed while the current service remains unreliable.

eGramSwaraj's planning and progress modules can provide leads about panchayat works and expenditure. Use the relevant entry to identify the project and agency, then compare the record with the specific service complaint. The portal description is not a certification that a particular tap works. 3

Write two questions when necessary

For action: “Please investigate the interruption affecting these households on these dates and confirm the responsible service team.”

For records: “Please provide the existing inspection or maintenance record for this location and period.”

Separating the requests helps distinguish a demand to restore a service from a request to see evidence. An RTI request concerns existing information; it is not itself an instruction to carry out repairs. 4

Do not turn this into a home safety test

This page is about public accountability, not determining whether water is safe to drink. Do not use appearance or smell alone to certify safety, enter restricted facilities or handle suspected contamination to gather evidence. Use the operator's current advisories and qualified testing or public-health guidance for an actual exposure concern.