Lok Sabha Question No. 38 (STARRED), answered on 2016-11-17
Subject: Depletion in Ground Water Level
Ministry: WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANAGA REJUVENATION
Asked by: BANSHILAL MAHTO

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

## LOK SABHA

## STARRED QUESTION NO. 38

ANSWERED ON 17.11.2016

## DEPLETION IN GROUND WATER LEVEL

## †*38. DR. BANSHILAL MAHATO

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

- (a)  whether the Government is aware that level of ground water is depleting fastly in various parts of the country causing shortage of drinking water;
- (b) if so, the State-wise details thereof including Chhattisgarh;
- (c) whether any scheme for replenishment of groundwater is under consideration or proposed to be formulated by the Government; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

THE    MINISTER  FOR  WATER  RESOURCES,  RIVER  DEVELOPMENT  AND  GANGA REJUVENATION (SUSHRI UMA BHARTI)

- (a) to (d)  A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## STATEMENT REFERRED IN REPLY TO PART S (a) TO (d) OF STARRED QUESTION NO. †*38 TO BE ANSWERED ON 17.11.2016 IN LOK SABHA REGARDING 'DEPLETION IN GROUND WATER LEVEL' ASKED BY DR. BANSHILAL MAHATO, HON'BLE M.P :

(a) &(b) Ground water is primarily being used for irrigation, drinking  and industrial purposes. Due  to  growing  urbanization,  industrialization  and  population,  ground  water  levels  in  various parts of the Country are declining.  Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) under the Ministry of Water Resources, RD & GR carries out ground water monitoring, four times a year, on regional scale through a network of observation wells in the Country including Chhattisgarh.  Water level data for pre-monsoon 2016 compared with decadal mean of pre-monsoon (2006-2015) indicates a decline in ground water level in 66% of the wells monitored.  Details are given at Annexure. In the State of Chhattisgarh, 73% of the wells analysed show decline in ground water level.

The scarcity of drinking water in the Country has occurred due to spatial & temporal variation of rainfall in the Country during last two years, which has contributed to the depletion of ground water table due to inadequate recharge in many parts of the Country.  This is being accentuated by inappropriate cropping pattern and wasteful use of water.

## (c) & (d) Several measures have been taken up by the Central Government to replenish ground water in the Country:

- 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 of the policy.
- 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.
- CGWB has  also  prepared  a  conceptual  document  entitled  'Master  Plan  for  Artificial Recharge to Ground Water in India' during 2013, involving ground water scientists/experts.    The  Master  Plan  envisages  construction  of  1.11  crore  rain  water harvesting and artificial recharge structures in the Country at an estimated cost of Rs.

79,178 Crores to harness 85 BCM (Billion Cubic Metre) of water.  The augmented ground water  resources  will  enhance  the  availability  of  water  for  drinking,  domestic,  industrial and irrigation purpose.  The Master Plan has been circulated to all State Governments for implementation.

- Special focus is given through Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act  (MGNREGA)  for  water  conservation  and  water  harvesting  structures  to  augment ground water.  In addition, priority has been given for construction of farm ponds in the year 2016-17 to harvest rain water.
- One  of  the  major  activities  under  the  'Watershed  Development'  component  of  the 'Pradhan  Mantri  Krishi  Sinchayee  Yojana  (PMKSY)',  inter-alia,  includes  rainwater harvesting.
- Besides,  Central  Ground  Water  Authority  (CGWA)  has  issued  directives  to  the  Chief Secretaries  of  all  States  and  the  Administrators  of  all  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.
- CGWB has taken up Aquifer  Mapping  and  Management  programme  during  XII  Plan, under the scheme of Ground Water Management and Regulation.  The Aquifer Mapping is  aimed  to  delineate  aquifer  disposition  and  their  characterization  for  preparation  of aquifer/area specific ground water management plans.
- CGWB has been organizing mass awareness programmes in the Country to promote rain water harvesting and artificial recharge to ground water.
- 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.  'Jal Gram Yojana' component of 'Jal Kranti Abhiyan' envisages selection of two villages in every district,  preferably  'over-exploited'  or  facing  acute  water  scarcity,  as  'Jal  Grams'  to ensure optimum and sustainable utilization of water.

Annexure referred in reply to Lok Sabha Starred Question No. *38 for 17.11.2016 regarding 'Depletion in Ground Water Level'

## State-wise Decadal  Water Level Fluctuation With Mean

[Pre-monsoon (2006 to 2015] and Pre-monsoon 2016

| S. No.           | Name of State     | No. of wells Analysed   | Rise   | Rise   | Fall   | Fall   | Wells showing no change   | Wells showing no change   |
|------------------|-------------------|-------------------------|--------|--------|--------|--------|---------------------------|---------------------------|
| S. No.           | Name of State     | No. of wells Analysed   | No.    | %      | No.    | %      | No.                       | %                         |
| 1                | Andhra Pradesh    | 547                     | 236    | 43     | 308    | 56     | 3                         | 0.5                       |
| 2                | Arunachal Pradesh | 14                      | 10     | 71     | 4      | 29     | 0                         | 0.0                       |
| 3                | Assam             | 182                     | 84     | 46     | 98     | 54     | 0                         | 0.0                       |
| 4                | Bihar             | 551                     | 180    | 33     | 369    | 67     | 2                         | 0.4                       |
| 5 Chandigarh     |                   | 11                      | 4      | 36     | 7      | 64     | 0                         | 0.0                       |
| 6                | Chhattisgarh      | 616                     | 165    | 27     | 451    | 73     | 0                         | 0.0                       |
| 7 Dadra          | &Nagar Haveli     | 12                      | 6      | 50     | 6      | 50     | 0                         | 0.0                       |
| 8 Daman          | &Diu              | 10                      | 2      | 20     | 8      | 80     | 0                         | 0.0                       |
| 9                | Delhi             | 115                     | 26     | 23     | 89     | 77     | 0                         | 0.0                       |
| 10 Goa           |                   | 70                      | 41     | 59     | 29     | 41     | 0                         | 0.0                       |
| 11               | Gujarat           | 738                     | 254    | 34     | 475    | 64     | 9                         | 1.2                       |
| 12               | Haryana           | 643                     | 184    | 29     | 454    | 71     | 5                         | 0.8                       |
| 13 Himachal      | Pradesh           | 95                      | 36     | 38     | 59     | 62     | 0                         | 0.0                       |
| 14 Jammu         | &Kashmir          | 225                     | 83     | 37     | 142    | 63     | 0                         | 0.0                       |
| 15 Jharkhand     |                   | 212                     | 86     | 41     | 126    | 59     | 0                         | 0.0                       |
| 16               | Karnataka         | 1380                    | 415    | 30     | 949    | 69     | 16                        | 1.2                       |
| 17 Kerala        |                   | 1240                    | 454    | 37     | 779    | 63     | 7                         | 0.6                       |
| 18 Madhya        | Pradesh           | 1343                    | 502    | 37     | 838    | 62     | 3                         | 0.2                       |
| 19 Maharashtra   |                   | 1487                    | 437    | 29     | 1041   | 70     | 9                         | 0.6                       |
| 20 Meghalaya     | 17                |                         | 6      | 35     | 11     | 65     | 0                         | 0.0                       |
| 21 Odisha        |                   | 1103                    | 395    | 36     | 705    | 64     | 3                         | 0.3                       |
| 22 Puducherry    |                   | 6                       | 5      | 83     | 1      | 17     | 0                         | 0.0                       |
| 23 Punjab        |                   | 613                     | 129    | 21     | 482    | 79     | 2                         | 0.3                       |
| 24 Rajasthan     |                   | 829                     | 346    | 42     | 481    | 58     | 2                         | 0.2                       |
| 25 Tamil         | Nadu              | 587                     | 345    | 59     | 242    | 41     | 0                         | 0.0                       |
| 26 Telangana     | 377               |                         | 66     | 18     | 308    | 82     | 3                         | 0.8                       |
| 27 Tripura       |                   | 28                      | 21     | 75     | 7      | 25     | 0                         | 0.0                       |
| 28 Uttar Pradesh |                   | 629                     | 95     | 15     | 534    | 85     | 0                         | 0.0                       |
| 29               | Uttarakhand       | 44                      | 21     | 48     | 23     | 52     | 0                         | 0.0                       |
| 30 West          | Bengal            | 899                     | 310    | 34     | 589    | 66     | 0 64                      | 0.0 0.4                   |
|                  | Total             | 14623                   | 4944   | 34     | 9615   | 66     |                           |                           |