Lok Sabha Question No. 20 (STARRED), answered on 2017-02-02
Subject: Maintenance of Reservoirs
Ministry: WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANAGA REJUVENATION
Asked by: KUNWAR PUSHPENDRA SINGH CHANDEL

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT & GANGA REJUVENATION

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. †*20

ANSWERED ON 02.02.2017

## MAINTENANCE OF RESERVOIRS

## †*20.       SHRI KUNWAR PUSHPENDRA SINGH CHANDEL

Will the Minister of WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANGA REJUVENATION be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of the reservoirs which have dried up in the country including Bundelkhand region along with the measures being taken by the Government for their conservation;
- (b)  the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  for  the  maintenance  of  the  reservoirs  and  to  increase  water harvesting in the country; and
- (c) the action plan chalked out and implemented by the Government to reduce the rate of evaporation during  summer  in  the  reservoirs  and  to  construct  underground  reservoir  in  the  country  including Bundelkhand region?

## ANSWER

THE  MINISTER  OF  STATE  (IC)  FOR  YOUTH  AFFAIRS  &  SPORTS  AND  MINISTER  OF  STATE

FOR  WATER  RESOURCES,     RIVER     DEVELOPMENT     AND     GANGA REJUVENATION (SHRI VIJAY GOEL)

- (a) to (c)       A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

Statement  referred  in  reply  to  parts  (a)  to  (c)  of  Lok  Sabha  Starred  Question  No.  20  to  be answered on 2.2.2017 on 'Maintenance of Reservoirs' raised by Shri Kunwar Pushpendra Singh Chandel:

(a) Central Water Commission (CWC) monitors live storage status of 91 reservoirs of the country including  Bundelkhand  on  weekly  basis  and  issues  Storage  Bulletin  on  every  Thursday.  As  per  the Storage Bulletin dated 25.1.2017, Sholayar and Aliyar reservoirs of Tamil Nadu have zero live storage.

(b) & (c) Works  related  to  water  resources  development  &  management  are  planned,  funded, executed and maintained by the State Governments themselves as per their own resources and priorities. In order to supplement the efforts of the State Governments, Government of India provides technical and financial  assistance  to  the  State  Governments  to  encourage  sustainable  development  and  efficient management of water resources through various schemes and programmes. Under the scheme for Repair, Renovation and Restoration (RRR) of water bodies, MoWR, RD &GR gives Central Assistance (CA) to States/UTs.  The  scheme  has  multiple  objectives  like  comprehensive  improvement  and  restoration  of water bodies thereby increasing tank storage capacity, ground water recharge, increased availability of drinking water, improvement in agriculture/horticulture productivity etc.

Under the scheme of domestic support, a total of 3341 water bodies were taken up for restoration in 12 states including 78 from Bundelkhand region of MP and 28 from Bundelkhand region of UP. A total central grant amounting to Rs. 917.26 crore was released to the states for completion of works of water bodies taken up during XI Plan and the works on 2801 water bodies have been completed and an irrigation potential of 1.984 lakh ha has been restored up to 31.03.2016.

Further during XII Plan, 1354 additional water bodies including  31 from Bundelkhand region of MP and 20 from Bundelkhand region of UP have been included under this scheme. So far, an amount of Rs. 264.669 crore has been released towards these schemes and an irrigation potential of 0.285 lakh ha has been restored up to 31.03.2016. Works in 464 of water bodies have been completed.

Following measures have been taken by the Government for water harvesting and artificial recharge of water:

- The National Water Policy (2012) formulated by Ministry of Water Resources, RD & GR, inter-alia, advocates conservation, promotion and protection of water and highlights the need for augmenting the availability of water through rain water harvesting, direct use of rainfall and other management measures.  The National Water Policy (2012) has been forwarded to all State Governments/ UTs and concerned Ministries/ Departments of Central Government for adoption.
- Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) constituted under 'The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986'  has  issued  advisories  to  States  and  UTs  to  take  measures  to  promote/adopt  artificial recharge to ground water / rain water harvesting.  30 States/UTs have made rain water harvesting mandatory by enacting laws or by formulating rules & regulations or by including provisions in Building bye-laws or through suitable Government Orders.
- This Ministry has circulated a Model Bill to all the States/UTs to enable them to enact suitable ground water legislation for its regulation and development which includes provision of rain water harvesting. So far, 15 States/UTs have adopted and implemented the ground water legislation on the lines of Model bill.
- Special  focus  is  given  through  Mahatma  Gandhi  National  Rural  Employment  Guarantee  Act (MGNREGA) for water conservation and water harvesting structures to augment ground water. 674403 works in respect of water conservation and water harvesting have been completed and 753383 works are ongoing with an expenditure of Rs. 729182.70 lakhs under the MGNREGA. In addition, priority has been given for construction of farm ponds in the year 2016-17 to harvest rain water.
- The  Ministry  of  Drinking  Water  &  Sanitation  has  suggested  all  States  to  adopt  water conservation  measures  like  roof  top  rainwater  harvesting,  erecting  sustainability  structures  for water  conservation  etc.  For  creating  such  sustainability  structures,  10  %  of  National  Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) funds are provided to the States.
- Department of Land Resources is currently implementing 8214 watershed development projects in  28  States  covering  an  area  of  about  39.07  million  ha.  under  the  Watershed  Development Component (WDC) of the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) principally for development  of  rainfed  portions  of  net  cultivated  area  and  culturable  wastelands.    The  major activities  taken  up  under  the  WDC-PMKSY,  inter-alia,  include  ridge  area  treatment,  drainage line afforestation, soil and moisture conservation, rain water harvesting, horticulture, and pasture development etc.
- MoWR, RD & GR has also launched 'Jal  Kranti  Abhiyan'  (2015-16  to  2017-18)  in  order  to consolidate water conservation and management in the country through a holistic and integrated approach involving all stakeholders, making it a mass movement.
- CGWB has been organizing mass awareness programmes in the country to promote rain water harvesting and artificial recharge to ground water; more than 17 lakh children participated in a nation-wide painting competition in the last year to promote conservation of water.

CWC has published a technical report on 'Evaporation Control in Reservoirs' in 2006 which has been circulated to all State Governments & other dam owning organization for their reference and taking appropriate action regarding the evaporation control in reservoirs.