Lok Sabha Question No. 3186 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-03-12
Subject: Consumption of Water Resources
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Indra Hang Subba

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3186

## ANSWERED ON 12 .0 3.2020

## CONSUMPTION OF WATER RESOURCES

## 3186. SHRI INDRA HANG SUBBA

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

(a) whether the agriculture sector consumes nearly 89 per cent of the water resources of ou so, the details thereof;

(b) whether the Government plans to solve the issue of depleting gr ound water resources and if so, t details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;

(c) whether the Himalayan region is the worst hit by the water crisis and if so, the details

(d) the steps proposed/to be taken by the Government for impro ving drinking water supply in areas with or poor availability of the same?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI & SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT

## (SHRI RATTAN LAL KATARIA )

(a ) The Twelfth Five Year Plan (2012 - 17) document indicates that agriculture consumes around 80 India's available water resources. As per the Dynamic Ground Water Resources Assessment of the country, conducted jointly by Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) and State Governments in 2017, about 89% of the total ground water extracted is used for agricultural activities.

(b) Water  being  a  State  subject,  measures  for  management  of  water  resources  is  primaril respective State Governments. Central Government supplements the efforts of the State Gove providing technical and financial assistance through various schemes and programmes. Central Government has taken various steps for sustainable management of ground water in the country.

Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA), a campaign for water conservation and water security, was Ministry  of  Jal  Shakti.  During  th e  campaign,  officers,  groundwater  experts  and  scientists  fr Government of India worked together with State and district officials in India's most water - stressed districts for water conservation and water resources management.

Atal Bhujal Yojana (ABH Y), a Rs.6000 crore scheme with World Bank funding, for sustai management  of  ground  water  with  community  participation  has  recently  launched  by  Hon'ble  Prime Minister  of  India.  The  identified  over - xploited  and  water  stressed  areas  for  the  implementat ion  of  the scheme  fall  in  the  States  of  Gujarat,  Haryana,  Karnataka,  Madhya  Pradesh,  Maharashtra,  Ra Uttar Pradesh.

Other important measures taken by the Central Government towards sustainable manage ground water in the co untry are given at the following URL:

http://mowr.gov.in/sites/default/files/Steps\_to\_control\_water\_depletion\_Jun2019.pdf . (c)As per the 2017 Dynamic Ground Water Resources assessment of the country , out of 8 assessment units in Himachal Pradesh , 4 , 1 and 3 units have been categorized as 'Over -exploited', Semi -critical and Safe respectively . Out of 18 assessment units i n Uttrakhand , 5 units have been c ategorized as Semi -critical and rest  13  units  have  been  categorized  as  Safe.  In  Jammu  and  Kashmir  and  North  Eastern  Sta , all  the assessment units have been categorized as Safe. Further, as informed by the Wadia Institute of Himal Geology,  an  autonom ous research institute under the Ministry of Science and Technology, a springs have either dried up or are on the verge of drying in Himalayan region. (d) Government  of  India  has  launched  Atal Mission  for  Rejuvenation  and  Urban  Transformatio (AMRUT) in select 500 cities across the country for a period of five years i.e. from 2015 - 16 to 2019 - 20 with focus on development of basic civic amenities in the Mission cities. Under the water sup onent of  the  Mission,  projects  related  to  rain  water  harvesting,  rejuvenation  of  water  bodies drinking water supply, recharging of ground water, etc., can be taken up by the States/UTs t supply in the Mission cities. To ena ble every household in the country to have potable water at service level of capita per day (lpcd) through Functional Household Tap Connection (FHTC) by 2024, Government in partnership with the states, has launched Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM).

*****