Lok Sabha Question No. 202 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-02-02
Subject: Water Scarcity
Ministry: WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANAGA REJUVENATION
Asked by: SHOBHA KARANDLAJE, PRATHAP SIMHA

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 202

ANSWERED ON 02.02.2017

## WATER SCARCITY

## 202. KUMARI SHOBHA KARANDLAJE SHRI PRATHAP SIMHA

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

- (a) the norms/criteria fixed for considering a location as water stressed and water scarce in terms of annual per capita availability of water in the country;
- (b) the State-wise per capita availability of water at present and its expected availability by 2025 along with current status of groundwater resources in the country as per the latest assessment;
- (c)  whether  per  capita  availability  of  water  in  different  parts  of  the  country  has  come  down recently and groundwater level is depleting rapidly, if so, the details thereof and the reasons for the same along with the current level of groundwater in each State;
- (d) the steps taken/to be taken to recharge groundwater and make available sufficient water to public; and
- (e)  the  funds  allocated/released/utilised  for  research  and  development  programmes  in  water sector during the last three years and current year pertaining to groundwater, surface water and climate change especially?

## ANSWER

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

(DR. SANJEEV KUMAR BALYAN)

- (a) to (c) As per National Commission on Integrated Water Resources Development (NCIWRD) report, the total water availability of India as a whole received through precipitation is about 4000 Billion cubic meter (BCM) per annum. After evaporation, 1869 BCM water is available as natural runoff.  Due  to  geological  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.    However,  water  available  per  person  is  dependent  on  population  of  the  country  and  for India, water availability per capita is reducing progressively due to increase in population.

The average annual per capita availability  of water in the country taking into consideration the population of the country as per the 2001 census, 2011 census and the population projection for the year 2025 is as under:

|   Year | Population (In Million)   |   Per capita Average Annual Availability (m3/year) | Remark                   |
|--------|---------------------------|----------------------------------------------------|--------------------------|
|   2001 | 1029                      |                                               1816 |                          |
|   2011 | 1210                      |                                               1545 | water stressed condition |
|   2025 | 1394 (Projected)          |                                               1340 | water stressed condition |

There is no norm/criteria fixed by Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation for considering a location in the country as water stressed or water scarce in terms of annual per capita availability of water. However, The NCIWRD Report mentions that as per Falkenmark indicators, per capita water availability of less than 1700 cubic meters (m 3 ) is termed as a water-stressed condition while below 1000 m 3 is termed as a water scarcity condition.

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. Since total water availability is not assessed state-wise, state-wise per capita water availability is not available in the Ministry.

Central  Ground  Water  Board  (CGWB)  and  State  Ground  Water  Organisations  jointly  assess replenishable  ground  water  resources  periodically  in  6607  assessment  Units  (Firkas/Blocks/ Mandals/Talukas/Districts) in the country. A Statement indicating the State-wise availability of ground water resources assessed in 2011 is given at Annexure II.

(d) Water  being  a  State subject, steps for its augmentation,  conservation  and  efficient management including groundwater recharge are undertaken by the respective State Governments. In order to supplement the efforts of the State Governments, Central Government provides  technical  and  financial  assistance  to  State  Governments  to  encourage  sustainable development  and  efficient  management  of  water  resources  through  various  schemes  and programmes.

Some of the steps taken by this Ministry to recharge groundwater and make available sufficient water to the people are as follows:

- CGWB  has  prepared  a  conceptual  document  entitled  'Master  Plan  for  Artificial Recharge to Ground Water in India' during 2013, involving ground water scientists/experts.  The  Master  Plan  envisages  construction  of  1.11  crore  rain  water harvesting and artificial recharge structures in the country to harness 85 BCM (Billion Cubic  Metre)  of  water.  The  augmented  ground  water  resources  will  enhance  the availability  of  water  for  drinking,  domestic,  industrial  and  irrigation  purpose.  The Master Plan has been circulated to all State Governments for implementation.
- Central Ground  Water  Authority (CGWA)  constituted  under  'The  Environment (Protection)  Act,  1986'  for  the  purpose  of  regulation  and  control  of  ground  water development and management in the country has so far notified 162 areas in the country for the purpose of regulation of ground water.  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.    For  non-notified  areas,  ground  water withdrawal by industries is regulated as per guidelines/criteria specified by CGWA.
- CGWA has  issued  advisories  to  States  and  UTs  to  take  measures  to  promote/adopt artificial  recharge  to  ground  water  /  rain  water  harvesting.    30  States/UTs  have  made rain water harvesting mandatory by enacting laws or by formulating rules & regulations or by including provisions in Building bye-laws or through suitable Government Orders.

- CGWB has taken up Aquifer Mapping and Management programme during XII Plan, under the scheme of Ground Water Management and Regulation. The Aquifer Mapping is  aimed  to  delineate  aquifer  disposition  and  their  characterization  for  preparation  of aquifer/area specific ground water management plans, with community participation.
- The National Water Policy (2012) formulated by Ministry of Water Resources, RD & GR, inter-alia, advocates conservation, promotion and protection of water and highlights the need for augmenting the availability of water through rain water harvesting, direct use of rainfall and other management measures.  The National Water Policy (2012) has been forwarded to all State Governments/ UTs and concerned Ministries/ Departments of Central Government for adoption.
- CGWB had  taken  up  Demonstrative  Rain  Water  Harvesting  and  Artificial  Recharge projects  in  22  States  of  the  Country,  under  Central  Sector  Scheme  "Ground  Water Management  &  Regulation".  Under  the  scheme,  133  demonstrative  recharge  projects were  approved  for  construction  of  recharge  structures  in  various  States/UTs  with  an anticipated  annual  recharge  to  ground  water  at  about  55.20  MCM  (Million  Cubic Metre).    During  last  three  years,  117  artificial  recharge  structures  were  constructed under the scheme.
- MoWR, RD & GR has also launched  'Jal  Kranti  Abhiyan'  (2015-16  to  2017-18)  in order  to  consolidate  water  conservation  and  management  in  the  Country  through  a holistic and integrated approach involving all stakeholders, making it a mass movement.
- Central  Government  has  also  formulated  a  National  Perspective  Plan  for  Water Resources Development which envisages transfer of water from surplus basins to water deficit  basins.  The  inter-basin  transfer  proposals  envisage  additional  utilization  of available water to bring additional area under irrigation.
- Further, MoRD has taken up an extensive programme for construction of farm ponds: 882325 farm ponds are  being constructed under MGNREGA during the current  year. These would also help in recharge of groundwater.

(e) This  Ministry  sponsors  research  projects  pertaining  to  Surface  Water,  Ground  Water  and Climate Change under 'Research & Development (R&D) Programme in Water Sector".   Funds allocated/released/utilised  under  this  scheme  during  the  last  three  years  and  current  year pertaining to groundwater, surface water and climate change is given below:

| Year                    |   BE (Rs Crore) |   RE(Rs Crore) | Expenditure(Rs Crore)   |
|-------------------------|-----------------|----------------|-------------------------|
| 2013-14                 |              50 |          35    | 31.36                   |
| 2014-15                 |              50 |          34.55 | 31.46                   |
| 2015-16                 |              30 |          54.6  | 40.36                   |
| 2016-17 (Current Year ) |              55 |          35    | 26.82 (Till Dec, 2016)  |

*****

## (Annexure referred to in reply to parts (a) to (c) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 202 to be answered on 02.02.2017 regarding 'Water Scarcity')

## 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) to (c) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 202 to be answered on 02.02.2017 regarding 'Water Scarcity')

## STATE WISE GROUND WATER RESOURCES AVAILABILITY (YEAR 2011)

| Sl. No.   | States / Union Territories   | Total Annual Replenishable Ground Water Resource (In Billion Cubic Meter)   |
|-----------|------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1         | Andhra Pradesh               | 20.7892                                                                     |
| 2         | Telangana                    | 15.0983                                                                     |
| 3         | Arunachal Pradesh            | 4.5100                                                                      |
| 4         | Assam                        | 28.5200                                                                     |
| 5         | Bihar                        | 29.3350                                                                     |
| 6         | Chhattisgarh                 | 12.4200                                                                     |
| 7         | Delhi                        | 0.3105                                                                      |
| 8         | Goa                          | 0.2424                                                                      |
| 9         | Gujarat                      | 18.5686                                                                     |
| 10        | Haryana                      | 10.7800                                                                     |
| 11        | Himachal Pradesh             | 0.5590                                                                      |
| 12        | Jammu &Kashmir               | 4.2512                                                                      |
| 13        | Jharkhand                    | 6.3100                                                                      |
| 14        | Karnataka                    | 17.0266                                                                     |
| 15        | Kerala                       | 6.6864                                                                      |
| 16        | Madhya Pradesh               | 35.0406                                                                     |
| 17        | Maharashtra                  | 33.9474                                                                     |
| 18        | Manipur                      | 0.4401                                                                      |
| 19        | Meghalaya                    | 1.7805                                                                      |
| 20        | Mizoram                      | 0.0304                                                                      |
| 21        | Nagaland                     | 0.6159                                                                      |
| 22        | Odisha                       | 17.7768                                                                     |
| 23        | Punjab                       | 22.5300                                                                     |
| 24        | Rajasthan                    | 11.9414                                                                     |
| 25        | Sikkim                       | -                                                                           |
| 26        | Tamil Nadu                   | 21.5326                                                                     |
| 27        | Tripura                      | 2.5866                                                                      |
| 28        | Uttar Pradesh                | 77.1900                                                                     |
| 29        | Uttarakhand                  | 2.0403                                                                      |
| 30        | West Bengal                  | 29.2511                                                                     |
|           | Total States                 | 432.1109                                                                    |
|           | Union Territories            |                                                                             |
| 1         | Andaman &Nicobar             | 0.3080                                                                      |
| 2         | Chandigarh                   | 0.0216                                                                      |
| 3         | Dadra &Nagar Haveli          | 0.0622                                                                      |
| 4         | Daman &Diu                   | 0.0181                                                                      |
| 5         | Lakshadweep                  | 0.0105                                                                      |
| 6         | Puducherry                   | 0.1893                                                                      |
|           | Total UTs                    | 0.6097                                                                      |
|           | Grand Total                  | 432.7206                                                                    |