Lok Sabha Question No. 1296 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-02-09
Subject: Shortage of Water in States
Ministry: WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANAGA REJUVENATION
Asked by: MIDHUN REDDY

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1296 ANSWERED ON 09.02.2017

## SHORTAGE OF WATER IN STATES

## 1296. SHRI P.V. MIDHUN REDDY

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

(a) whether certain States especially Andhra Pradesh is facing problem on the water front at present;

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

(c) the steps the Government is taking in this regard?

## ANSWER

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

(a)  &  (b)  The  average  annual  water  availability  of  any  region  or  country  is  largely  dependent  upon  hydrometeorological and other factors and is generally constant. As per National Commission on Integrated Water Resources Development (NCIWRD) report, the total water availability of India 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  limited  to  1123  BCM  per annum, comprising of 690 BCM of surface water and 433 BCM of replenishable ground water.

In view of growing population, the per capita water availability in India is reducing progressively.  The average annual per capita water availability in the years 2001 and 2011 was assessed as 1820 cubic meters and 1545  cubic  meters  respectively  which  may  reduce  further  to  1341  and  1140  in  the  years  2025  and  2050 respectively.

Annual  per-capita  water  availability  of  less  than  1700  cubic  meters  is  considered  as  water  stressed condition,  whereas  annual  per-capita  water  availability  below  1000  cubic  meters  is  considered  as  a  water scarcity  condition. Due  to temporal  and  spatial  variability  of  rainfall,  many  regions  /  states  receive  less  than average rainfall and may be considered as water stressed or water scarce.

River basin being the natural hydrological unit, total water resources availability is assessed river basin wise. The details of the basin-wise average annual water resources availability (or potential) assessed by Central Water Commission in 1993 is at Annexure I . Andhra Pradesh is co-basin state for Godavari and Krishna river basins.

Central Water Commission under this Ministry monitors live storage status of 91 major reservoirs of the country and issues weekly bulletins. As per bulletin dated 02.02.2017 there is a live storage of 14.19 BCM in 32 reservoir under CWC monitoring in the southern region comprising states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamilnadu. This live storage is 28% of total storage capacity. During the current period last year, the live storage was 27% whereas average storage of the last ten years for the corresponding period was 46%. Thus storage during the current period is better than corresponding period of last year but lower than the average storage of the last ten years during corresponding period.

Further, the  Ground Water Resources Assessment of the country is carried out at periodical interval jointly  by  Central  Ground  Water  Board  (CGWB)  and  State  Ground  Water  Department.  As  per  the  latest assessment  (2011),  out  of  6607  assessment  units  (  Blocks/  Mandals  /  Talukas/  Firkas/  Distrcits),  1071 assessment units in various states including Andhra Pradesh have been categorized as 'Overexploited' where annual groundwater withdrawal is more than annual net groundwater availability and there is significant long term  decline  in  ground  water  level.  The  details  are  given  in Annexure II .  Reasons  for  depletion  of  ground water resources are growing population, urbanization and industrialization.

(c) In  India,  water  being  state  subject,  measures  for  water  conservation  and  management  are  taken  by respective state Governments depending on their priority and resources. In order to supplement the efforts of state  governments,  Central  Government  provides  technical  and  financial  assistance  through  various  schemes and programmes.

Some of such interventions are as follows:

- The CGWB under the Ministry of Water Resources, RD & GR has carried out Demonstrative Rain Water Harvesting and Artificial Recharge Projects during XI Plan under the Central Sector Scheme of 'Ground Water Management & Regulation' in priority areas. The projects aimed at providing technical assistance to State Governments by demonstration of rainwater harvesting & recharge technology for replicating the same in similar hydrogeological environment. During the XI Plan, 133 demonstrative recharge projects were approved for construction of artificial recharge structures in 22 States.
- A conceptual document entitled 'Master Plan for Artificial Recharge to Ground Water in India' has been  prepared  by  CGWB  during  the  year  2013,  which  envisages  construction  of  different  types  of Artificial Recharge and Rainwater Harvesting structures in the Country in an area of 9,41,541 square km by harnessing surplus monsoon runoff to augment ground water resources. The Master Plan has been circulated to all State Governments for implementation.
- The National Water Policy (2012) has been formulated by Ministry of Water Resources, RD & GR which inter-alia advocates conservation, promotion and protection of water and highlights the need for augmenting the availability of water through direct use of rainfall. The National Water Policy (2012) has been forwarded to all State Governments/ UTs and concerned Ministries/ Departments of Central Government for appropriate action.
- National Water Mission (NWM), has also been set up under National Action Plan on Climate Change. Goals of NWM include 'Promotion of citizen and state actions for water conservation, augmentation and preservation' and 'Increasing water use efficiency by 20%'.
- Central  Government  has  also  launched  Pradhan  Mantri  Krishi  Sinchai  Yojana  (PMKSY)  with  the vision of extending the coverage of irrigation 'Har Khet ko Pani' and improving water use efficiency 'More crop per drop' in a focused manner with end to end solution on source creation, distribution, management, field application and extension activities. Under PMKSY-AIBP 99 priority projects have been identified for  faster  completion  of  ongoing  Major  and  Medium  Irrigation  which  includes  eight such projects in Andhra Pradesh.

*****

## (Annexure referred to in reply to parts (a) & (b) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1296 to be answered on 09.02.2017 regarding 'Shortage of Water in States')

## WATER RESOURCES AVAILABILITY (POTENTIAL) OF RIVER BASINS OF INDIA (YEAR 1993)

| Sl. No .   | River Basin                                                | Average Water Resources Potential (In Billion Cubic Meter)   |
|------------|------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1          | Indus                                                      | 73.3                                                         |
| 2          | Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna                                   |                                                              |
|            | (a) Ganga                                                  | 525.0                                                        |
|            | (b) Brahmaputra                                            | 537.2                                                        |
|            | (c) Barak &others                                          | 48.4                                                         |
| 3          | Godavari                                                   | 110.5                                                        |
| 4          | Krishna                                                    | 78.1                                                         |
| 5          | Cauvery                                                    | 21.4                                                         |
| 6          | Subernarekha                                               | 12.4                                                         |
| 7          | Brahmani-Baitarni                                          | 28.5                                                         |
| 8          | Mahanadi                                                   | 66.9                                                         |
| 9          | Pennar                                                     | 6.3                                                          |
| 10         | Mahi                                                       | 11.0                                                         |
| 11         | Sabarmati                                                  | 3.8                                                          |
| 12         | Narmada                                                    | 45.6                                                         |
| 13         | Tapi                                                       | 14.9                                                         |
| 14         | West Flowing Rivers from Tapi to Tadri                     | 87.4                                                         |
| 15         | West Flowing Rivers from Tadri to Kanyakumari              | 113.5                                                        |
| 16         | East Flowing Rivers between Mahanadi and Pennar            | 22.5                                                         |
| 17         | East Flowing Rivers between Pennar &Kanyakumari            | 16.5                                                         |
| 18         | West Flowing Rivers of Kutch and Saurashtra including Luni | 15.1                                                         |
| 19         | Area of Inland Drainage in Rajasthan                       | Negligible                                                   |
| 20         | Minor Rivers draining into Myanmar (Burma) and Bangladesh  | 31.0                                                         |
|            | Total                                                      | 1,869.4                                                      |

(Annexure referred to in reply to parts (a) & (b) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1296 to be answered on 09.02.2017 regarding 'Shortage of Water in States')

## OVER-EXPLOITED BLOCKS/ MANDALS/ TALUKAS IN

## INDIA (As on March 2011)

| Sl. No.   | States / Union Territories   | Over-exploited Assessment units (Nos.)   |
|-----------|------------------------------|------------------------------------------|
|           | States                       |                                          |
|           | Andhra Pradesh               | 41                                       |
|           | Chattisgarh                  | 1                                        |
|           | Delhi                        | 18                                       |
|           | Gujarat                      | 24                                       |
|           | Haryana                      | 71                                       |
|           | Himachal Pradesh             | 1                                        |
|           | Jharkhand                    | 6                                        |
|           | Karnataka                    | 63                                       |
|           | Kerala                       | 1                                        |
|           | Madhya Pradesh               | 24                                       |
|           | Maharashtra                  | 10                                       |
|           | Punjab                       | 110                                      |
|           | Rajasthan                    | 172                                      |
|           | Tamil Nadu                   | 374                                      |
|           | Telengana                    | 42                                       |
|           | Uttar Pradesh                | 111                                      |
|           | Total States                 | 1069                                     |
|           | Union Territories            |                                          |
|           | Daman &Diu                   | 1                                        |
|           | Pondicherry                  | 1                                        |
|           | Total Uts                    | 2                                        |
|           | Grand Total                  | 1071                                     |