Lok Sabha Question No. 3764 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-12-08
Subject: Bureau of Water Efficiency
Ministry: WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANAGA REJUVENATION
Asked by: NEELAM SONKER

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. †3764 ANSWERED ON 08.12.2016

## BUREAU OF WATER EFFICIENCY

## †3764. SHRIMATI NEELAM SONKER

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

(a) whether the Government proposes to set up Bureau of Water Efficiency on the lines of Bureau of Energy Efficiency;

(b) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor;

(c) whether there is any mechanism for auditing of water for the industries, if so, the details thereof; and

(d) the details of other efforts made by the Government to increase water efficiency?

## ANSWER

## THE  MINISTER  OF  STATE  FOR  WATER  RESOURCES,  RIVER  DEVELOPMENT  &  GANGA REJUVENATION (DR. SANJEEV KUMAR BALYAN)

(a)  &  (b)  No,  Madam.  Government  of  India  has  in  principle  decided  that  the  activities  related  to  water  use efficiency  shall  be  undertaken  as  part  of  integrated  Water  Management  efforts.  Government  of  India  has established  National  Water  Mission  with  the  objective  of  'conservation  of  water,  minimizing  wastage  and ensuring  its  more  equitable  distribution  both  across  and  within  States  through  integrated  water  resources development  and  management'.  Promotion  of  water  use  efficiency  has  been  taken  up  by  Central  Water Commission, Central Ground Water Board as part of their activities.

(c)  & (d)  National Water Mission, MoWR, RD & GR has awarded a study for establishing benchmarks for industrial water use to assist policy for enhancing industrial water use efficiency in India to The Energy and Research Institute (TERI), New Delhi. The study focuses on scoping exercise, preliminary baseline assessment of  water  &  comprehensive water audit/ benchmarking in four industrial sectors i.e. Thermal Power Plants & Textile industries, Pulp & Paper and Steel industry. Central Water Commission has prepared general guidelines for water audit and water conservation for domestic, irrigation and industries sectors.

Almost 80% of water is used for irrigation; Central Water Commission has therefore, been focussing on conservation of water in this sector.  It has completed studies regarding water use efficiency of 35 irrigation projects and Performance evaluation of 131 projects. These study reports containing the detailed findings on remedial measures were conveyed to the respective project authorities for taking-up the suggested corrective measures.

NWM  has  also  initiated  preparation  of  21  base  line  studies  to  evaluate  water  use  efficiency  of completed Medium/ major irrigation projects to find out existing level of performance/leakage in the irrigation projects through various Water and Land Management Institutes at Tezpur, Hyderabad, and Aurangabad. NWM has  initiated  preparation  of  State  Specific  Action  Plans  (SSAP)  for  water  resources  covering  irrigation, agriculture,  domestic  water  supply,  industrial  water  supply  and  waste  water  utilization  in  respect  of  all  the States/UTs. North Eastern Regional Institute for Water and Land Management has been identified as the Nodal Agency for preparation of SSAPs for 19 States and National Institute of Hydrology, Roorkee has been identified as Nodal agency for rest of 17 States.

*****