Lok Sabha Question No. 1483 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-07-26
Subject: Rain Water Harvesting
Ministry: WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANAGA REJUVENATION
Asked by: RAMESWAR TELI

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

## LOK SABHA UN STARRED QUESTION NO. 1483

## ANSWERED ON 26.0 7.201 8

## RAIN WATER HARVESTIN G

## 1483. SHRI RAMESWAR TELI

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

(a) whether the Government has proposed to launch any scheme for rainwater harvesting b irrigation of cultivable land and domestic use;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether the Government is aware of rapid depletion and excessive exploitation of grou and

(d) if so, the steps being planned by the Government to address this serious issue?

## ANSWER

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

## ( SHRI ARJUN RAM MEGHW AL )

( a) & (b) Ministry of Water Resources, RD & GR has circulated a Model Bill to all  States/UTs to enable them to enact suitable ground water legislation for its regulation and developm includes provision of rain water harvesting.  So far, 15 States/UTs have adopted and imp the ground water legislation on the lines of Model bill.  3 0 States/UTs have made roof top rain water harvesting mandatory by enacting laws or by formulating rules & regulations or by i provisions in building bye - laws or through suitable Government Orders.

Ministry of Urban Development has circulated its Model Building Bye -Laws (2016) to all State  Governments  which,  inter -alia,  incorporates  provisions  for  Rain  Water  Harvesting. Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) mandates the States to formulat policy and action plan for rai n water harvesting structures in all commercial, public building new buildings on plots of 300 sq.m and above .

Ministry of Rural Development in consultation and agreement with the Ministry of Resources,  RD  &  GR  and  the  Ministry  of  Agricultu re  &  Farmers'  Welfare  has  developed  an actionable framework for Natural Resources Management  (NRM),  titled 'Mission Water Conservation' to ensure gainful utilization of funds.  The Framework strives to ensure synergies in Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Empl oyment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY), Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP) and

Command Area Development & Water Management (CAD&WM ), given their common objectives. Types of common works undertaken under these programmes/schemes are water conservation a management,  water  harvesting,  soil  and  moisture  conservation,  groundwater  recharge, protection, land development, Command Ar ea Development & Watershed Management.

Department  of  Land  Resources  is  currently  implementing  8214  watershed  developme projects in 28 States covering an area of about 39.07 million ha. under the Watershed Dev Component  (WDC)  of  the  Pradhan  Man tri  Krishi  Sinchayee  Yojana  (PMKSY)  principally  for development  of  rainfed  portions  of  net  cultivated  area  and  culturable  wastelands.  T activities taken up under the WDC - PMKSY, inter - alia, include ridge area treatment, drainage li afforestation, soil  and  moisture  conservation,  rain  water  harvesting,  horticulture,  and development etc..

(c) & (d)Ground water levels in various parts of the Country are declining because of con withdrawal due to reasons such as increased demand of fre sh water for various uses, vagaries of rainfall, increased population, industrialization & urbanization etc.

As per latest assessment (year 2013), carried out by Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) jointly with State Governments ,out of 6584 assessment units in the country, 1034 assessment units are categorized as 'Over -Exploited'.

Water being a State subject, initiatives on water management including conservat rainwater  harvesting  /  artificial  recharge  to  ground  water  is  primarily  States'  respo nsibility. However, s teps taken by the Central Government for conservation of ground water are avail the following URL http://mowr.gov.in/sites/default/files/Measure sForGW -Depletion\_1.pdf .

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