In the survey carried out in 1972, a total number of 35,506 villages were identified as scarcity villages. In a re-survey carried out in 1985 another 42,544 villages were identified as scarcity villages. Thus out of 1,12,566 revenue villages of the State as per 1981 census, 78,050 villages were identified as problem villages which included 66,408 villages of plains and 11,642 villages of Uttaranchal State. Priority was given to cover the scarcity villages first. Development of special type of hand pumps by UNICEF has been a break through in rural water supply. Installation of India Mark-II hand pumps based upon the one developed by UNICEF was introduced in Uttar Pradesh in the decade of 1980.
Technology Mission on Drinking Water initiated in 1986 has been another Philip to the cause. This program was rechristened as Rajiv Gandhi National Drinking Water Mission in 1991. A survey was carried out between 1991-1993 in which 'habitation' was considered the unit rather than 'revenue village'. According to this survey the total no. of habitations of undivided UP was found to be 274,641. Status of coverage as on March 1995 was 1,48,704 FC (Fully covered by water supply), 95,411 PC (partially covered by water supply) and 30,526 NC (without safe drinking water source). This survey was again repeated during 2003-04 and the status of coverage was found to be as below: