Percentage of habitation having safe drinking water (X₁₀): Safe drinking water availability reduces the risk of deaths due to diarrhoea, jaundice and other water born diseases. In India still a very large proportion of people have no access to safe drinking water facility. According to estimate 1.5 million children below the age 5 die every year due to water borne diseases. The 100 percent coverage of safe drinking water was recorded in Tuensang district in Nagaland. In Lakshadweep there is no fully covered habitation. Therefore the value for computation is taken as zero. 

The index is computed as 

Index₁₀ = 100*(X₁₀ – 0.00/(100 – 0.00) 

            = 100* ( X₁₀)100

             = X₁₀     

Where X₁₀ is the percentage of habitation having fully covered safe drinking water in a particular district. Higher the percentage of safe drinking water facility in a district, higher the index value.