Lok Sabha Question No. 4660 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-03-23
Subject: Fresh Water Lakes
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: RAJESHBHAI NARANBHAI CHUDASAMA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4660

TO BE ANSWERED ON 23.03.2018

## Fresh Water Lakes

4660. SHRI RAJESHBHAI CHUDASAMA:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (a) the  number  of  fresh  water  lakes  that  have  disappeared/dried-up  during  the last three years and the current year;
- (b) whether the Government has introduced or proposes to introduce any scheme or legislation for the cleaning, conservation and protection of fresh water lakes; and
- (c) if so, the details thereof and the action taken by the Government so far in this regard?

## ANSWER

MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (DR. MAHESH SHARMA)

- (a) Rapid urbanization, developmental activities and anthropogenic pressures do stress water bodies.
- (b) & (c) This Ministry is currently implementing a scheme namely, National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Eco-systems (NPCA) for conservation and management of identified lakes and wetlands in the country on cost sharing basis between Central Government  and  respective State  Governments.  The  scheme  covers  various activities  such  as  interception,  diversion  and  treatment  of  wastewater,  shoreline protection, lake front development, insitu cleaning i.e. desilting & deweeding, storm water  management,  bioremediation,  catchment  area  treatment,  lake  beautification, survey & demarcation, biofencing, fisheries development, weed control, biodiversity conservation, education and awareness creation, community participation, etc. Under NPCA, financial assistance has been provided for conservation and management of 65 lakes and 83 identified wetlands in 26 States & 2 UTs.

Further, this Ministry had notified the Wetlands (Conservation and Management)  Rules,  2010  to  regulate  various  activities  within  and  around  the wetlands. These Rules have been superseded by the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017.

The Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation (MoWR, RD & GR) is also supplementing the efforts of the State Governments by providing  technical  and  financial  assistance  to  State  Governments  to  encourage sustainable  development  and  efficient  management  of  water  resources  through various  schemes  and  programmes  such  as  scheme  for  Repair,  Renovation  and Restoration  (RRR)  of  water  bodies  etc.  Under  the  RRR  of  water  bodies  Scheme under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) (Har Khet Ko Pani), water bodies  having  minimum  water  spread  area  of  5  hectare  in  rural  areas  and  water bodies  having  water  spread  area  from  2.0  hectare  to  10  hectare  in  urban  areas, which  also  have  irrigation  component  are  included  for  funding  by  the  Central Government.

Further,  the  National  Water  Mission  of  MoWR,  RD  &  GR  is  supporting  14 State Governments viz. in formulating State Water Budgeting under State Specific Action Plan  on  Water  (SSAP-Water).  State  Water  Budgeting  aims  at water governance to ensure that Annual Water (Utilisable) availability is within the Annual Water Availability. The State Water Budget includes performance, diagnosis of water measurement, conservation, productivity etc. of all components of hydrological cyclesupply, demand and quality including that of lakes.

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