The present paper analyses the existing situation of drinking water supply under National Rural Drinking Water (NRDWP) programme which was initiated in 2008 under the Eleventh Plan strategy. Whether the programme ensured safe drinking water to tribal habitation is the central research question probed in the present study. The reason to formulate such a research question was that the programme was targeted to ensure availability of potable drinking water on sustainable basis in SCs/STs dominant habitations. In this context, the study focused on tribal areas of Telangana state to identify hurdles of such stipulated policy. But, in contrast to plans goals, it was found that small clusters and habitations were not able to access water from the common water supply schemes located in rural and tribal areas.