Lok Sabha Question No. 3089 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-08-03
Subject: Conservation of Rain Water
Ministry: WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANAGA REJUVENATION
Asked by: RAVINDRA KUMAR PANDEY

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

## LOK SABHA UN STARRED QUESTION NO. 3089

ANSWERED ON 03 .0 8.201 7

## CONSERVATION OF RAIN WATER

## 3089. SHRI RAVINDRA KUMAR PANDEY

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

(a) whether the Government has taken any steps for conservation of rain water at village levels;

(b) if so, the details thereof; and

(c)  the  qu antum  of  funds  spent  by  the  Government  during  the  last  three  years  for  rain harvesting?

## ANSWER

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

## ( DR. SANJEEV KUMAR BA LYAN )

(a) to (c) The National Water Policy (2012) formulated by Ministry of Water Resources, RD & GR, inter - alia, advocates conservation, promotion and protection of water and highlights for  augmenting the availability of water through rain water harvesting, direct use of ot her  management measures. The National Water Policy (2012) has been forwarded to all Governments/ UTs and concerned Ministries/ Departments of Central Government for adoptio the policy.

Central  Ground  Water  Board  (CGWB)  has  prepared  a  conceptual  document  entitle "Master  Plan  for  Artificial  Recharge  to  Ground  Water  in  India"  during  2013,  involving water scientists/experts. The Master Plan envisages construction of 1.11 crore rain w ater harv sting and    artificial  recharge  structures  in  the  Country  at  an  estimated  cost  of  Rs.  79,17 harness    85BCM  (Billion  Cubic  Metre)  of  water.  The  augmented  ground  water  resources enhance  the  availability  of  water  for  drinking,  domesti c,  industr al  and  irrigation  purpose.  The Master Plan has been circulated to all State Governments for implementation. Ministry o Resources, RD & GR has circulated a Model Bill to all the States/UTs to  enable them suitable ground water leg islation for its regulation and development which includes provision of rain  water  harvesting.  So  far,  15  States/UTs  have  adopted  and  implemented  the  ground legislation on the· lines of Model bill. 30 States/UTs have made rain water harvesting mandat ory by enacting laws or by formulating rules & regulations or by including provisions in Bui -laws or through suitable Government Orders.

CGWB has taken up Aquifer Mapping and Management programme during XII Plan, under the  scheme  o f  Ground  Water  Management  and  Regulation.  The  Aquifer  Mapping  is  aimed  at delineating  aquifer  disposition  and  their  characterization  for  preparation  of  aquifer/ ground water management plans.

Department  of  Land  Resources  is  currently  implemen ting  8214  watershed  development projects in 28 States (except Goa) covering an area of about 39.07 million ha. under the Development  Component  (WDC)  of  the  Pradhan  Mantri  Krishi  Sinchayee  Yojana  (PMKSY) principally for development of rainfed port ions 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 horticulture, pasture d evelopment, creation of livelihoods for asset - less person, etc. An amount of Rs.2284.63 crore during 2014 - 15,Rs. 1487.83 crore during 2015 - 16 and Rs. 1471.71 crore during 2016- 17 was released as central share.

Ministry of Urban Development has circulate d its Model Building Bye -Laws (2016) to all State  Governments  which,  inter - alia,  incorporates  provisions  for  Rain  Water  Harvesting.  A Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) mandates the States to formulat policy  and  action  plan  for having  rain  water  harvesting  structures  in  all  commercial,  pu buildings and new buildings on plots of 300 sq.m and above.

Under  MGNREGS  (Mahatma  Gandhi  National  Rural  Employment  Guarantee  Scheme), Rainwater Harvesting structures, watershed management works and renovation of traditional water bodies  are  undertaken  to  improve  the  ground  water  situation.  To  bring  about  the  conv among the schemes - MGNREGS, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojna (PMKSY) and Integrated Watershed Management Programme (I WMP), the Ministry of Rural Development has developed Natural  Resource  Management  Framework  under  MGNREGS  within  the  overall  framework  of PMKSY.

Under the Natural Resources Management of MGNREGS, during lastthree financial years i.e., 2014 - 15 to 201 6- 17,a sum of Rs. 1857713.22 lakh, Rs. 2895184.65 lakh and 3302656.98lakhs respectively had been released as financial assistance to the States/UTs.

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