Lok Sabha Question No. 4720 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-03-30
Subject: Dark Zone Level in Groundwater
Ministry: WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANAGA REJUVENATION
Asked by: BHARAT SINGH

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. †4720

ANSWERED ON 30.03.2017

## DARK ZONE LEVEL IN GROUNDWATER

## †4720. SHRI BHARAT SINGH SHRI MANSHANKAR NINAMA

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

(a)  whether  there  has  been  a  steep  decline  in  groundwater  level  in  various  States  of  the  country including  Uttar  Pradesh  and  reached  the  level  of  dark  zone  and  if  so,  the  details  thereof, State/location-wise;

(b) whether the Government has made any arrangements to ensure that groundwater level does not fall to dark zone and if so, the details thereof; and

(c)  the  efforts  made/measures  taken  by  the  Government  to  improve  the  ground  water  level  by utilising  rainwater  during  the  last  three  years  along  with  the  progress  achieved  as  a  result  of  the same?

## ANSWER

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

## (DR. SANJEEV KUMAR BALYAN)

(a) As per assessment (year - 2011) carried out jointly by Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) and State Government Departments, out of 6607 assessment units in the Country, 1071 assessment units in 15 States and 3 UTs are categorized as 'Over-exploited'.  Details are given at Annexure. In Uttar Pradesh, 111 assessment units have been categorized as 'Over-exploited'.

(b) & (c) Central Government  has  constituted  Central  Ground  Water  Authority (CGWA), under Section 3(3) of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.  to  regulate  and control,  management  and development of ground water in the Country and to issue necessary regulatory directions.  CGWA has notified  162  areas  for  regulation  of  ground  water  development  and  management.  Under  the CGWA guidelines, in notified areas, no permission is accorded to extract ground water through any energized  means  for  any  purpose  other  than  drinking  water.    However,  for  non-notified  areas, ground water withdrawal by industries is regulated by means of guidelines/criteria as specified as CGWA.

Further  steps  taken  by  the  Government  for  conservation  of  surface  and  ground  water  are available at the following URL http://mowr.gov.in/writereaddta/GW\_Depletion.pdf.

*****

Annexure referred in reply to Lok Sabha Unstarred Q.No. 4720 for reply on 30.03.2017 regarding 'Dark Zone Level in Groundwater'

## Over-Exploited Blocks/ Mandals/ Talukas In India (As on March 2011)

| Sl.No.   | States / Union Territories   | Over-Exploited Assessment units (Nos.)   |
|----------|------------------------------|------------------------------------------|
| Sl.No.   | States                       |                                          |
| 1.       | Andhra Pradesh               | 41                                       |
| 2.       | Chhattisgarh                 | 1                                        |
| 3.       | Gujarat                      | 24                                       |
| 4.       | Haryana                      | 71                                       |
| 5.       | Himachal Pradesh             | 1                                        |
| 6.       | Jharkhand                    | 6                                        |
| 7.       | Karnataka                    | 63                                       |
| 8.       | Kerala                       | 1                                        |
| 9.       | Madhya Pradesh               | 24                                       |
| 10.      | Maharashtra                  | 10                                       |
| 11.      | Punjab                       | 110                                      |
| 12.      | Rajasthan                    | 172                                      |
| 13.      | Tamil Nadu                   | 374                                      |
| 14.      | Telangana                    | 42                                       |
| 15.      | Uttar Pradesh                | 111                                      |
|          | Total (States)               | 1051                                     |
|          | Union Territories            |                                          |
| 16.      | Daman &Diu                   | 1                                        |
| 17.      | Delhi                        | 18                                       |
| 18.      | Puducherry                   | 1                                        |
|          | Total (UTs)                  | 20                                       |
|          | Grand Total                  | 1071                                     |