Lok Sabha Question No. 836 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-09-17
Subject: Awareness about Fresh Water
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Amar Singh

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 836

ANSWERED ON 17.09.2020

## AWARENESS ABOUT FRES H WATER

## 836. DR. AMAR SINGH

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI  be pleased to state:

(a) the steps taken/to be taken by the Government to create awareness about the importance of fres about the people living without access to safe water;

(b) the measures taken/to be tak en by the Government to spread awareness for the sustainable manageme freshwater resources and to revive initiatives and measures to save water; and

(c)  the  reasons  for  mismanagement  of  water  resources  under  a  bureaucratic  stranglehold  and  the ent machinery's  refusal  to  involve  people  despite  the  many  constitutional  provisions  for  decentralised  decision -making?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI & SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT (SHRI RATTAN LAL KATARIA )

(a) & (b)  The steps taken by Government to create awareness about importance of water are as under: -

- i . Ministry  of  Jal  Shakti  has  undertaken  a  number  of  Information,  Education  &  Communicatio activities for creating awareness among various target groups . Also there have been extensive social media campaign through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc.
- ii . Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA), launched in 2019 by Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation, Ministry of Jal Shaktiis  a  time - bound,  mission - mode  water  conservatio n  campaign.  The  JSA  aims  at  making  water conservation a Jan Andolan through asset creation and extensive communication strategy .  This campaign has  been  launched with  the  intent  of  participatory  water  management  as  a  way  forward  to sustainable wate r availability and m agement.
- iii . A campaign named 'Catch the Rain' with tag line ' catch the rain, where it falls and when it falls ' has been launched by National Water Mission to encourage rooftop Rain Water Harvesting Structures, construction ofwater harve sting pits and check dams; removal of encroachments and de - silting of tanks to increase the storage  capacity . Weekly  webinars  are  being  held  with District  Magistrates/  District  Collectors/  De Co mmissioners across the country, where senior officer fro m the DoWR interact and share views.
- iv . National Water Mission (NWM) has launched a campaign ' Sahi Fasal ' in 2019 to create awareness among farmers on appropriate crops, micro - irrigation, and soil moisture conservation.

- v. A competition named 'Water Heroes: Share your Stories Contest' was launched in 2019 on MyGov portal to poplarize stories  of  water  heroes and for  supporting  country - wide  efforts  on  water  conservation  and sustainable development of water resources.
2. vi . A magazi ne named 'Jal Charcha' is being published every month to spread awareness among masses. It is circulated to Central Ministries/ Departments, State Governments, NGOs, Kendriya Vidyalayas Navodya Vidyalayas and to target groups and individuals all over the Country.
3. vii . 'National  Water  Awards',  covering  a  very  wide  spectrum  of  categories  ranging  from  'Best  State/Best District/Best Village Panchayat' to 'Best School/Best Industry/Best Newspaper', have been organised to recognise and motivate people for adopt inggood water usage practices.
4. viii . The Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation, in partnership with States, is implementing Mission (JJM) to ensure every rural household has a Functional Household Tap Connection (F 2024 to provide dr inking water in adequate quantity of prescribed quality on regular basis. Fu Water  Quality  Monitoring  &  Surveillance  component  of  JJM,  various  surveillance  activities undertaken  by  local  community  ,  Gram  Panchayat  and/  or  its  sub - comm ittee,  i.e.  Village  Water  & Sanitation Committee/Panni Samiti/ User Group etc. using Field Test Kits and sanitary inspec assess factors associated with drinking water which could pose risk to health.
5. ix . Centr al  Ground  Water  Board  (CGWB) has conducted trainings and awareness campaigns for promoti Rain Water Harvesting. Public Interaction Programs in 298 schools all over the country wer during 2019 - 20. CGWB had created Rain Centres in its all the Regional offices in the country rt guidance and awareness regarding Rain Water Harvesting.

(c) The National Water Policy (2012) states that water needs to be managed as a common pool c resource held by the State, under public trust doctrine to achieve food security, support livel equitable and sustainable development for all .The Central and State Government are guided in their functi accordingly. Water being a State subject, measures for management of water resources are primaril respective State Governments. Central Government supplements the efforts of the S tate Governments by providing technical and financial assistance through various centrally funded programmes.

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