Lok Sabha Question No. 4259 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-07-18
Subject: Water Scarcity
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Bhola Singh, Sakshi Ji Swami Maharaj

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI DEPARTMENT OF DRINKING WATER AND SANITATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.4259 TO BE ANSWERED ON 18.07.2019

## Water Scarcity

## †4259. SHRI BHOLA SINGH: DR. SWAMI SAKSHIJI MAHARAJ:

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

- (a) whether water scarcity in the country is taking serious turn in different parts of the country, if so, the details thereof along with the reaction of the Government thereto;
- (b) whether export of foodgrain is likely to decrease in wake of acute water scarcity in  the  country,  if  so,  the  details  thereof  along  with  the  steps  taken  by  the Government to provide adequate amount of water to agriculture;
- (c) whether it is a becoming difficult to provide water to all people of the country in wake of the fact that 17 per cent population has 4 per cent water availability, if so, the action taken by the Government in this regard; and
- (d) whether the Government proposes to launch water conservation campaign on the lines of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE FORJAL SHAKTI (SHRI RATTAN LAL KATARIA)

- (a)  to  (c)  Water  is  a  State  subject  and  planning,  funding,  implementation  and maintenance  of  water  supply  schemes  are  primarily  the  responsibility  of  the State  Governments.  The Central  Government  provides technical and  financial assistance  to  the  States  for  improving  the  coverage  of  safe  drinking  water  in rural  habitations  under  centrally  sponsored  National  Rural  Drinking  Water Programme  (NRDWP). As per information furnished  by  States  on  Integrated management Information System (IMIS), 81.03% of rural habitations are fully covered i.e. getting more than 40 litres per capita per day (lpcd), 15.61% rural habitations  are  partially  covered  (getting  less  than  40  lpcd)  and  3.36%  rural habitations are quality affected i.e. affected by chemical contamination. In order to mitigate the hardship of people to access potable water, the following actions have been taken recently by the Central Government:
- An  advisory  has  been  issued  by  this  Department  of  Drinking  Water  and Sanitation on 20th May 2019 to States on water conservation and to meet the drinking water requirements of rural areas on priority, during scarcity.
- Further, Cabinet Secretariat, vide its letter dated 29th May 2019 addressed to selective  States,  recommended  action  plans  for  dealing  with  drought  like situation.
- The  Hon'ble  PM  has  written  letters  to  all  Sarpanches  in  the  country motivating them to take up water conservation activities like de-silting  and cleaning of water bodies, rain water harvesting etc with people participation.
- (d)  Ministry  of  Jal  Shakti  has  launched  Jal  Shakti  Abhiyan  (JSA),  which  is  a time-bound,  mission-mode  water  conservation  campaign.  Under  JSA,  there are five intervention areas  which include, inter alia,  water conservation and rain  water harvesting. JSA is  a  collaborative  effort  of  various  Ministries  of the  Government of India  and State Governments,  being  coordinated by  the Department  of  Drinking  Water  and  Sanitation  (DDWS),  Ministry  of  Jal Shakti. Under JSA, total 1592 blocks have been selected in 256 ground water stressed districts.