Lok Sabha Question No. 3812 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-01-03
Subject: Depleting Ground Water
Ministry: DRINKING WATER AND SANITATION
Asked by: VISHNU DAYAL RAM

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF DRINKING WATER & SANITATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3812 TO BE ANSWERED ON 03.01.2019

## Depleting Ground Water

## 3812. SHRI VISHNU DAYAL RAM:

Will the Minister of DRINKING WATER AND SANITATION be pleased to state:

- (a) whether 21 cities in India are expected to have zero ground water by year 2020;
- (b) the reasons for the rapid depletion of groundwater in the country;
- (c) the steps that have been taken/are being taken by the Government to protect groundwater in the country; and
- (d) the extent to which these steps been successful, if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE FOR DRINKING WATER AND SANITATION (SHRI RAMESH CHANDAPPA JIGAJINAGI)

(a) to (d) The issue of zero ground water / rapid depletion of groundwater is related to Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation (MoWR, RD & GR). As per the information furnished by them in this respect, reasons for depletion of ground water resources are mainly  due  to  increased  demand  of  fresh  water  for  various  uses,  irregular  Monsoon,  growing population, urbanization and industrialization etc. Several steps have been taken to protect ground water  in  the  country  which  has  resulted  in  reduction  in  ground  water  utilization  and  number  of 'Over-exploited' assessment units in several States.  The various steps in this regard are as follows:

- The National Water Policy (2012) formulated  by  MoWR,  RD  &  GR  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  Policy  has  been  forwarded  to  all  States/UTs  and  concerned Ministries/Departments of Central Government for adoption.
- The  Ministry  has  circulated  a  Model  Bill  to  all  the  States/UTs  to  enable  them  to  enact suitable  ground  water  legislation for  regulation  of  its  development,  which  includes provision of rain water harvesting. So far, 15 States/UTs have adopted and implemented the ground water legislation on the lines of Model Bill.
- Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) has prepared a conceptual document titled 'Master Plan for Artificial Recharge to Ground Water - 2013' which provides information about area-specific artificial recharge techniques to augment ground water resources based on the availability of source water and capability of subsurface formations to accommodate it. The Master  Plan  envisages  construction  of  about  1.11  crore  artificial  recharge/Rainwater harvesting  structures  in  urban  and  rural  areas.  The  Master  Plan  is  available  in  public domain and has also been circulated to the State Governments for implementation.
- Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) has been constituted under Section 3 (3) of the 'Environment (Protection) Act, 1986' for the purpose of regulation and control of ground water development and management in the Country. So far, CGWA has notified 162 areas in  the  country  where  ground  water  withdrawal  through  new  abstraction  structures  is  not permitted, except for drinking and domestic uses. CGWA has issued directives to the Chief

Secretaries  of  all  States  as  well  as  Administrators  of  all  UTs  to  take  measures  to promote/adopt artificial recharge to ground water / rain water harvesting. It also grants No Objection  Certificates  (NOCs)  for  ground  water  abstraction  to  Industries,  Infrastructure units and Mining projects with mandatory conditions aimed at conservation, augmentation and efficient use of ground water.

- CGWB regularly undertakes training programs and Information Education & Communication (IEC) activities for capacity building and awareness creation of stakeholders on the importance of water conservation and rainwater harvesting in augmenting the ground water resources.
- CGWB has taken up Aquifer Mapping and Management (NAQUIM) programme from the XII  Plan,  under  the  scheme  of  Ground  Water  Management  and  Regulation.  Aquifer Mapping  is aimed  at delineating aquifer disposition and their characterization for preparation of aquifer/area specific ground water management plans.
- ModelBuildingByeLaws,2016circulatedbyMinistryofUrbanDevelopment include provisionsfor Rainwater Harvesting.Asper these, waterharvesting throughstoring of waterrunoffincluding rainwaterinallnew buildings on plots of  100 sq. m. andabovewill be mandatory. Barring theStates/UTof Manipur,Sikkim, MizoramandLakshadweep,allthe States/UTshave incorporatedtheseprovisionsintheirrespectivebuilding byelaws.Buildingplans  submitted  tothe  localbodiesshallindicate  the  systemof  stormwater drainage along withpointsofcollectionofrainwaterinsurfacereservoirsorinrecharge wells.Further,allbuilding having aminimumdischargeof10,000litreandabove perdayshallhave  mandatorywastewater  recycling  systems.Therecycledwatershall  beused forhorticulturalpurposes.
- DepartmentofLandResourcesiscurrently implementing 8214watershed developmentprojectsin28Statescoveringanareaofabout39.07millionha. under the Watershed DevelopmentComponent(WDC)  of  the  PradhanMantriKrishiSinchayeeYojana(PMKSY), primarily for development of rainfed portionsofnetcultivatedareaandculturablewastelands.Majoractivities takenup under theWDC-PMKSY inter-aliainclude ridge area treatment, drainagelineafforestation, soiland moistureconservation, rain waterharvesting, horticulture, pasturedevelopment etc.
- The Ministry ofRuralDevelopment, inconsultation and agreement with the MoWR, RD & GRandtheMinistryof Agriculture&Farmers Welfarehasdevelopedanactionable frameworktitled'Mission WaterConservation' for NaturalResources Management (NRM)toensuregainful  utilization  of  funds.    The  Frameworkstrivesto  ensure  synergies inMahatma GandhiNationalRuralEmploymentGuaranteeScheme (MGNREGS),PMKSY,Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP)andCommandAreaDevelopment&WaterManagement (CAD&WM) Programme, giventheir common objectives. Common works undertakenundertheseprogrammes/schemesincludewaterconservationand management,water harvesting,soilandmoisture conservation,groundwater recharge,floodprotection,land development,Commandarea developmentand watershedmanagement.
- Ground water resources are dynamic and depends on rainfall, runoff, aquifer characteristics and drawal of water from various purposes, inter-alia agriculture, which is the major user of ground water.