Lok Sabha Question No. 1403 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-03-09
Subject: Impact of Climate Change on Water Resources
Ministry: WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANAGA REJUVENATION
Asked by: (ADV.) JOICE GEORGE

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1403

ANSWERED ON 09.03.2017

## IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON WATER RESOURCES

1403. ADV.  JOICE  GEORGE

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

(a) whether the Government has noticed that demand and supply gap for water is projected to rise to about 50% by 2030 with demands doubling from current levels of 700 billion cubic meters to around 1498 billion cubic meters and supply barely reaching 744 billion cubic meters, if so, the details and the facts thereof;

(b)  whether  the  Government  has  any  concrete  action  plan  to  tackle  the  situation,  if  so,  the  details thereof along with the steps taken in that direction; and

(c) whether the Government has any machanism for the assessment of impact of climate change on water resources, if so, the details thereof ?

## ANSWER

## THE  MINISTER  OF  STATE  FOR  WATER  RESOURCES,  RIVER  DEVELOPMENT  AND GANGA REJUVENATION

## (DR. SANJEEV KUMAR BALYAN)

(a) The average annual water availability of any region or country is largely dependent upon hydrometeorological, topographical, geological etc. factors and is constant. As per National Commission on  Integrated  Water  Resources  Development  (NCIWRD)  report  (year  1999),  the  total  water availability  of  India  as  a  whole  received  through  precipitation  is  about  4000  Billion  cubic  meter (BCM)  per  annum.  After  evaporation,  1869  BCM  water  is  available  as  natural  runoff.  Due  to topographical and other factors, the utilizable water availability is further limited to 1123 BCM per annum.  However, water available per person is dependent on population of the country and for India, water  availability  per  capita  is  reducing  progressively  due  to  increase  in  population.  The  average annual  per  capita  water  availability  in  the  years  2001  and  2011  has  been  assessed  as  1820  cubic meters and 1545 cubic meters respectively which may reduce further to 1341 and 1140 in year 2025 and 2050 as per NCIWRD report indicating thereby a widening gap between demand and availability of water.

(b) Water being a State Subject, State Governments undertake several measures for augmenting, conserving and utilizing the water resources which inter-alia include conservation of water resources in reservoirs and traditional water bodies, rain water harvesting, artificial recharge of ground water etc. This Ministry provides technical and financial assistance to the State Governments in this regard through various schemes and programmes viz. Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme, Scheme

for  Repair,  Renovation  &  Restoration  of  Water-bodies  etc.  Some  of  the  initiatives  taken  by  this Ministry in this regard are as follows:

(i) A  National  Perspective  Plan  (NPP)  envisaging  inter-basin  transfer  of  water  has  been formulated by this Ministry to improve water security in the country. The implementation of NPP would give added benefits of approximately 35 million hectare of additional irrigation potential and 34000  mega  watts  (MW)  hydro  power  generation  apart  from  the  incidental  benefits  of  flood moderation, navigation, drinking and industrial water supply, fisheries, salinity and pollution control etc.

(ii) Central Ground Water Board, under this Ministry has prepared a conceptual document entitled 'Master  Plan  for  Artificial  Recharge  to  Ground  Water  in  India'  during  the  year  2013  envisaging construction of 1.11 crore Rainwater Harvesting and Artificial Recharge structures in the country to harness  85  BCM  (Billion  Cubic  Meters)  of  water.  The  augmented  ground  water  resources  will enhance  the  availability  of  water  for  drinking,  domestic,  industrial  and  irrigation  purposes.  The Master Plan has been circulated to all State Governments for implementation.

(iii) Improved  water  use  efficiency  in  different  sectors  such  as  in  irrigation  (through  microirrigation,  e.g.,  drip,  sprinkler  etc.),  industry  and  households  is  being  encouraged  through  various initiatives, programmes/schemes of the Government. For example, Water  conservation  and  water  harvesting  structures  to  augment  ground  water  constitute  a  special focus  area  for  MGNREGA  works  and  about  2/3rd  of  the  expenditure  is  directly  related  to construction  of  such  structures.  One  of  the  goals  of  National  Water  Mission  launched  by  the Government is increasing water use efficiency by 20%.

(iv) Recycle  and  reuse  of  water,  after  treatment  to  specified  standards  as  well  as  rainwater harvesting  and  artificial  recharge  are  being  incentivized  through  various  initiatives,  programmes/ schemes of the Government.

(v) This Ministry has 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.

(c) National Water Mission (NWM) has been established by government of India under National Action Plan for Climate Change. The main objective of the National Water Mission is conservation of  water,  minimizing  wastage  and  ensuring  its  more  equitable  distribution  both  across  and  within States through integrated water resources development and management.  The five identified goals of the Mission are: (a) comprehensive water data base in public domain and assessment of impact of climate change on water resource; (b) promotion of citizen and state action for water conservation, augmentation  and  preservation;  (c)  focused  attention  to  vulnerable  areas  including  over-exploited areas; (d) increasing water use efficiency by 20%, and (e) promotion of basin level integrated water resources management. Implementation of National Water Mission is a Central Sector Scheme of this Ministry.  NWM  activities  undertaken  are:  establishment  of  NWM  Directorate,  baseline  studies, demonstration projects,  preparation of State Specific Action Plan (SSAP) for water sector, Human Resource  Development  &  Capacity  Building,  training  and  mass  awareness  programmes  for  water conservation and improving Water Use Efficiency.