Lok Sabha Question No. 1758 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-12-20
Subject: Scarcity of Water
Ministry: WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANAGA REJUVENATION
Asked by: NIHAL CHAND CHAUHAN

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

## UN STARRED QUESTION NO.

## LOK SABHA †1758

ANSWERED ON 20.12 .201 8

## SCARCITY OF WATER

## †1758. SHRI NIHAL CHAND

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

(a) whether there is acute scarcity of water in various parts of the country despite aver and if so, the details thereof;

- (b) whether the Gove rnment has taken cognizance of the matter and if so, the details thereof
- (c)  whether  the  Government  has  prepared  any  draft  to  ensure  adequate  availability  o especially potable water in the country and if so, the details thereof; and

(d) the number of additional water reservoirs created by the Government in the country dur last two years, State - wise?

## ANSWER

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

## ( SHRI ARJUN RAM MEGHWAL )

(a) & (b) As per Indian Meteorological Department, during monsoon season 2018 (from 1 st June to 30 th September 2018) the seasonal rainfall activity for the country as a whole has been 9 the  long  period  average.  So  far  as  district  wise  rainfall  is  concerned,  195  district districts in the Country reported deficient seasonal rainfall duri ng southwest monsoon season 2018.

Total water availability of India received through precipitation has been asses 4000 Billion Cubic Meter (BCM) per annum. After evaporation, 1869 BCM water is availabl natural runoff. Due to topographical and other factors, the utilizable water availability is limi 1137  BCM  per  annum  comprising  690  BCM  of  surface  water  and  447  BCM  of  replenishable ground water.

Total requirement of the country for different uses for high demand scenario for 2010, 2025 and 2050 has been assessed as 710 BCM, 843 BCM and 1180 BCM respectively.

The average annual water availability of any region or country is largely depende hydro- meteorological and geological factors and is generally constant. However, water availability per person is dependent on population of the country and for India; water availability p reducing progressively due to increase in population. The averageannual per capitawater

avai lability in the years 2001 and 2011 was assessed as 1816 cubic meters and 1545 cubic respectively which may reduce further to 1340 and 1140 in the years 2025 and 2050 respec Annual per -capita water availability of less than 1700 cubic meters is considered as water stressed condition, whereas annual per - capita water availability below 1000 cubic meters is considered water  scarcity  condition.  Due  to  high  temporal  and  spatial  variation  of  precipitation availability  of  many  region of  the  country  is  much  below  the  national  average  and  can  b considered as water stressed / water scarce.

(c)  &  (d)    Water  being  a  State  subject,  steps  for  augmentation,  conservation  and management  of  water  resources  including  identification  o f  new  sources  of  water  are  primarily undertaken by the respective State Governments. In order to supplement the efforts of Governments,  Central  Government  provides  technical  and  financial  assistance  to  them  t various  schemes  and  programmes. Central  Government  has  taken  various  steps  to  improve availability of water in the country.

Central  Government  has  formulated  a  National  Perspective  Plan  (NPP)  for  Wat Resources  Development  which  envisages  transfer  of  water  from  water  surplus  basins  to deficit basins to improve availability of water.

Central Government has launch ed Prad han Mantri Krishi Sinchayi Yojana (PMKSY) in 2015- 16 which aims to enhance physical access of water on farm and expand cultivable area assured  irrigation,  improve  farm  water  use  efficiency,  introduce  sustainable  water  con practices,  etc.  Dur ing  2016 - 17,  99  on - going  Major/Medium  irrigation  projects  under  PMKSY -Accelerated  Irrigation  Benefits  Programme  (AIBP)  having  ultimate  irrigation  potential lakh hectares and balance estimated cost of Rs.77,595 crore (Central Assistance Rs.31342. crore) have been prioritized in consultation with States, for completion in phases up to Decem along with their Command Area Development & Water Management (CADWM) works. Funding mechanism through NABARD has been approved by the Government for bo th Central and State share.

Central Government has formulated National Water Policy (NWP) , 2012 which inter -alia recommends conservation,  promotion  and  protection  of water  and  highlights the  need  for augmenting the availability of waterthrough rain water harvesting, direct use of rainfall and othe management  measures. The  NWP,  2012 has been sentto  all  States/ Union  Territories and  the concerned Central Ministries for appropriate action.

Under  National  Rural  Drinking  Water  Programme (NRDWP),  Ministry  of  Drinking Water and Sanitation provides technical & financial assistance to States to improve the coverage of safe drinking water in rural areas. With this, the States are required to ensure adequate

ofpotable water in rural areas. The Government has launched Atal Mission for Rejuvenati Urban Transformation (AMRUT) on 25 June, 2015 in 500 Mission cities. Water supply is a m focus area under the Mission. Under AMRUT, projects worth Rs. 39,011 c rore have been taken up by States/Union Territories in water supply sector which are at different stages of imple

Some  other  initiatives/measures  taken  by  the  Central  Government  for  conservation improvement of availability of ground water a re as under:

- Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) has prepared a conceptual document titled 'Master Plan  for  Artificial  Recharge  to  Ground  Water  in  India'  during  the  year  2013  envisaging construction of 1.11 crore Rainwater Harvesting and Artificial Recharge structures in urban and  rural  areas.  The  Master  Plan  has  been  circulated  to  all  State  Governmen implementation.
- CGWB has taken up Aquifer Mapping and Management (NAQUIM) programme from the XII Plan, under the scheme of Ground Water Management and Re gulation. Aquifer Mapping is  aimed  at  delineating  aquifer  disposition  and  their  characterization  for  prep aquifer/area specific ground water management plans.
- The  Ministry  has  circulated  a  Model  Bill  to  all  the  States/UTs  to  enable  them suitable ground water legislation for regulation of its development, which includes of rain water harvesting. So far, 15 States/UTs have adopted and implemented the water legislation on the lines of Model Bill.
- Central Ground Water Autho rity (CGWA) has been constituted under Section 3 (3) of th '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 the  country  where  g round  water  withdrawal  through  new  abstraction  structures  is  n permitted, except for drinking and domestic uses.

Major and Medium irrigation or multipurpose projects are appraised in Central Water Commi as per the extant Guidelines of MoWR, RD & GR. The appraised projects are considered by the Advisory Committee of MoWR, RD & GR for techno - economic clearance. The details of projects having drinking water component, as accepted by the Advisory Committee of MoWR, RD & GR in last 2 years, are given a t Annexure I. The additional storages that have been created in the last years out of 99 priority projects under PMKSY - AIBP are annexed as Annexure - II.

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Annexure referred to in reply to part s (c)  &  (d)  of  Unstarred  Question  No. † 1758 to be answered in Lok Sabha on 20.12.2018 regarding 'Scarcity of Water'

The list of projects having drinking water component, as accepted by the Advisory Commit

MoWR, RD & GR in last 2 years

|   Sr. No. | Meeting of Advisory Committee   | Date of Meeting   | Name of the Project                                            | State             | Type of Project        |
|-----------|---------------------------------|-------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------|------------------------|
|         1 | 129 th                          | 08.07.2016        | Arjun Sahayak Pariyojna                                        | Uttar             | PradeshMajor, Revised  |
|         2 | 129 th                          | 08.07.2016        | Sardar Sarovar Narmada Project                                 | Gujarat           | 3 rd RCE, Major        |
|         3 | 129 th                          | 08.07.2016        | Damanganga - Pinjal Link Project                               | Maharashtra       | New, Drinking Water    |
|         4 | 129 th                          | 08.07.2016        | Bhaunrat Dam Project                                           | Uttar PradeshNew, | Medium                 |
|         5 | 132 nd                          | 06.03.2017        | Renukaji Dam Project                                           | Himachal Pradesh  | Multipurpose           |
|         6 | 135 th                          | 12.03.2018        | Parwan Major Multi - Purpose Irrigation Project                | Rajasthan         | New, Major, Irrigation |
|         7 | 136 th                          | 06.06.2018        | Revised Cost Estimate of Upper Pravara (Nilwander -II) Project | Maharashtra       | RCE, Major Irrigation  |
|         8 | 136 th                          | 06.06.2018        | Kaleshwaram Project                                            | Telangana         | New, Major Irrigation  |
|         9 | 138 th                          | 31.10.2018        | Revised Cost Estimate of Ghungshi Barrage Irrigation Project   | Maharashtra       | RCE, Medium Irrigation |

Annexure referred to in reply to part s (c)  &  (d)  of  Unstarred  Question  No. † 1758 to be answered in Lok Sabha on 20.12.2018 regarding 'Scarcity of Water'

| List of projects having dam component completed under 99 priority projects   | List of projects having dam component completed under 99 priority projects   | List of projects having dam component completed under 99 priority projects   | List of projects having dam component completed under 99 priority projects   | List of projects having dam component completed under 99 priority projects   |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Sl. No.                                                                      | Name of State                                                                | Name of the project                                                          | Storage capacity (MCM)                                                       | Storage capacity (MCM)                                                       |
|                                                                              |                                                                              |                                                                              | Gross                                                                        | Live                                                                         |
| 1                                                                            | Karnataka                                                                    | Karanja                                                                      | 7.69                                                                         | 7.32                                                                         |
| 2                                                                            | Manipur                                                                      | Thoubal                                                                      | 176.38                                                                       | 124.58                                                                       |
| 3                                                                            | Odisha                                                                       | Rukura                                                                       | 43.94                                                                        | 38.69                                                                        |
| 4                                                                            | Odisha                                                                       | RET irrigation                                                               | 67.76                                                                        | 59.64                                                                        |