Lok Sabha Question No. 4186 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-07-18
Subject: Ground Water Depletion in Bihar
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Alok Kumar Suman

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4186

## ANSWERED ON 1 8.0 7.2019

## GROUND WATER DEPLETI ON IN BIHAR

## 4186. DR. ALOK KUMAR SUMAN

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has conducted any scientific study regarding depletion of ground country, specially in the State of Bihar;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

- (c) the action plan of the Government to tackle the depletion of ground water; and

(d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

## (SHRI RATTAN LAL KATARIA )

(a) & (b) The Dynamic Ground Water Resources of the country are being periodically assessed jo Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) and State Governments. As per the 2017 assessment, out total 6881 assessment units (Block/ Taluks/ Mandals/ watersheds/ Fi rka ) in the country, 1186 units in 1 States/UTs  have  been  categorized  as  'Over -exploited'  where  the  total  Current  Annual  Ground  Water Extraction is more than Annual Extractable Ground Water Resource. Categorization of 'Over Exploited' Blocks/ Mandals/ Talukas in India (2017) are given at Annexure. Bihar has 12 over - exploited units.

(c)  &  (d) Central  Ground  Water  Authority  (CGWA)  has  been  constituted  under  Section  3(3)  o 'Environment  (Protection)  Act,  1986'  for  the  purpose  of  regulation  and  control of  ground  water development and management in the Country. CGWA grants No Objection Certificates for ground abstraction, in 23 States/UTs, through guidelines which are modified from time to time. Rest /  UTs  are  regulating  ground  water dev lopment  through  their  own  Acts,  notifications  or  Governm Orders. Further, CGWA has also appointed the District Magistrate / District Collector of e District and Regional Directors of CGWB in these States as Authorized Officers, with power to enforce compliance of NOC conditions.

As per information received from Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs , the Model Building Bye  Laws,  2016,  has  been  issued  for  guidance  of  the  States/UTs  which  has  a  chapter  on  'Rainwater Harvesting'.    The  provision s  of  this  chapter  are  applicable  to  all  the  buildings.  32  States adopted the rainwater harvesting provisions. The implementation of the rainwater harvesting within the purview of the State Government/Urban Local Body / Urban Develop ment Authority.

In addition, for enhancing water use efficiency, the Central Government is promoti -irrigation systems, Command Area Development works, Participatory Irrigation Management, rec reuse of water amongst others.

Further, Hon'ble Prime Minister has written a letter to all Sarpanchs on 08.06.2019 regarding the  importance  of  water  conservation  and  rain  harvesting  and  exhorted  them  to  adopt  all measures to make water conservation a mass movement.

An 'Inter  Ministerial  Committee'  under  the  Chairmanship  of  Secretary  (WR, RD & GR) has been  constituted  to  take  forward  the  subject  of  'Water  Conservation  Related  Activities  for  Optimum Utilization  of  Monsoon  Rainfall'  which  meets  from  time  to  time  to  discuss the  issue  of  water conservation.  The  Committee  includes  officers  from  different  States/UTs.  Last  meeting  of -Ministerial Committee was held on 01/05/2019.

Cabinet Secretary discussed the issue of water conservation with the Chief Secreta the States through video -conference on 21.05.2019.

The  issue  was  also  discussed  with  the  concerned  Ministers  and  officials  of Governments by Minister, Jal Shakti in a meeting held on 11.6.2019.

Government of India has launched the Jal Shakti A b iyan which is a time bound campaign with a mission mode approach intended to improve water availability including ground water condit water stressed blocks.

Water being a State subject, initiatives on water management including conservation nd artificial recharge to ground water in the Country is primarily States' responsibility.  The important measures taken by the Central Government for conservation, management of ground water in the are at the following URL:

http://mowr.gov.in/sites/default/files/Steps\_to\_control\_water\_depletion\_Jun2019.pdf

*****

Annexure referr ed to in reply to part (a) & (b) of Unstarred Question No. 4186 t o  be answered in Lok Sabha on 18 .07.2019 regarding ' Groundwater Depletion in Bihar '.

## Categorization of 'Over Exploited' Blocks/ Mandals/ Talukas in India (2017)

| S.No.   | States / Union Territories   | Total No. of Assessed Units   | Over-Exploited   | Over-Exploited   |
|---------|------------------------------|-------------------------------|------------------|------------------|
| S.No.   | States / Union Territories   | Total No. of Assessed Units   | Nos.             | %                |
|         | States                       |                               |                  |                  |
| 1       | Andhra Pradesh               | 670                           | 45               | 7                |
| 2       | Arunachal Pradesh            | 11                            | 0                | 0                |
| 3       | Assam                        | 28                            | 0                | 0                |
| 4       | Bihar                        | 534                           | 12               | 2                |
| 5       | Chattisgarh                  | 146                           | 0                | 0                |
| 6       | Delhi                        | 34                            | 22               | 65               |
| 7       | Goa                          | 12                            | 0                | 0                |
| 8       | Gujarat                      | 248                           | 25               | 10               |
| 9       | Haryana                      | 128                           | 78               | 61               |
| 10      | Himachal Pradesh             | 8                             | 4                | 50               |
| 11      | Jammu & Kashmir              | 22                            | 0                | 0                |
| 12      | Jharkhand                    | 260                           | 3                | 1                |
| 13      | Karnataka                    | 176                           | 45               | 26               |
| 14      | Kerala                       | 152                           | 1                | 1                |
| 15      | Madhya Pradesh               | 313                           | 22               | 7                |
| 16      | Maharashtra                  | 353                           | 11               | 3                |
| 17      | Manipur                      | 9                             | 0                | 0                |
| 18      | Meghalaya                    | 11                            | 0                | 0                |
| 19      | Mizoram                      | 26                            | 0                | 0                |
| 20      | Nagaland                     | 11                            | 0                | 0                |
| 21      | Odisha                       | 314                           | 0                | 0                |
| 22      | Punjab                       | 138                           | 109              | 79               |
| 23      | Rajasthan                    | 295                           | 185              | 63               |
| 24      | Sikkim                       | 4                             | 0                | 0                |
| 25      | Tamil Nadu                   | 1166                          | 462              | 40               |
| 26      | Telangana                    | 584                           | 70               | 12               |
| 27      | Tripura                      | 59                            | 0                | 0                |
| 28      | Uttar Pradesh*               | 830                           | 91               | 11               |
| 29      | Uttarakhand                  | 18                            | 0                | 0                |
| 30      | West Bengal **               | 268                           | 0                | 0                |
|         | Total States                 | 6828                          | 1185             | 17               |
|         | Union Territories            |                               |                  |                  |
| 1       | Andaman & Nicobar            | 36                            | 0                | 0                |
| 2       | Chandigarh                   | 1                             | 0                | 0                |
| 3       | Dadra & Nagar Haveli         | 1                             | 0                | 0                |
| 4       | Daman & Diu                  | 2                             | 0                | 0                |
| 5       | Lakshdweep                   | 9                             | 0                | 0                |
| 6       | Puducherry                   | 4                             | 1                | 25               |
|         | Total UTs                    | 53                            | 1                | 2                |
|         | Grand Total                  | 6881                          | 1186             | 17               |

## Note

Blocks

-Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Jharkhand, Kerala, M.P., Manipur, Mizoram, Orissa,

Punjab, Rajasthan, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal Taluks - Karnataka, Goa, Gujarat, Maharashtra

Mandals

-Andhra Pradesh, Telangana

Districts/Valley -Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir,

Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland Islands -Lakshadweep, Andaman & Nicobar Islands

Firka-

Tamil Nadu

Region

-Puducherry

UT -Chandigarh, Dadar & Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu

Tehsil - NCT Delhi

*Uttar Pradesh:

There are total 820 block and 10 Cities

**The Ground Water resources assessment as on 2013 been considered .