Interviewer instructions
A common feature of Indian villages has been the presence of caste-specific or religion-specific sources of drinking water. It is still a widely prevalent feature. For Items 2.1 & 2.2, it has to be carefully ascertained whether such sources of potable water meant for a specific caste group or religious group exist in the village. Matters relating to religion and caste being rather sensitive under certain circumstances, it is advisable to adopt a cautious but effective approach in collecting this information. In many cases, it appears, information received from one quarter should be cross-verified with that from other sources. Note that there are instances where a public tubewell for drinking water or a kundi constructed by the government is, in practice, reserved for a particular caste or religious group. The actual position has to be ascertained and recorded in these items.