Lok Sabha Question No. 3194 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-03-12
Subject: Ground Water Tapping
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Vijay Kumar

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. †3194 ANSWERED ON 12 .0 3.2020

## GROUND WATER TAPPING

## †3194. SHRI VIJAY KUMAR

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has formulated any policy to check the ground water tapping;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether the Government has any plan to check the ground water tapping by wa y of canal expansion by adopting ground water based agro irrigation; 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) Water being a State subject, initiatives on sustainable water management including and water harvesting in the Country is primarily States' responsibility. However, the important measures taken  by  the  Central  Government  for  conservation,  mana gement  of  ground  water  and  effective implementation of rain water harvesting in the country are at the following URL:

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

Further, a number of States have done notable work in the field of water conservatio Of these, mention can be made of 'Mukhyamantri Jal Swavlamban Abhiyan' in Rajasthan, 'Jalyukt Shibar' in Mahar ashtra, 'Sujalam Sufalam Abhiyan' in Gujarat, 'Mission Kakatiya' in Telangana, Neeru Chettu' in Andhra Pradesh, Jal Jeevan Hariyali in Bihar, 'Jal Hi Jeevan' in Haryana among others.

Government of India has approved Atal Bhujal Yojana (Atal Jal ), a Rs. 6000 Crore Central Sector Scheme, for sustainable management of ground water resources with community participation. T is being implemented with the financial assistance of World Bank with a sharing pattern of Government of India and Wo rld Bank. Atal Jal shall be implemented in the States of Gujarat, Karnataka,  Madhya  Pradesh,  Maharashtra,  Rajasthan  and  Uttar  Pradesh  during  the  period  2 - 21  to 2024- 25.

Government of India launched Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA), a time bound campaign with a mission mode  approach  intended  to  improve  water  availability  including  ground  water  conditions  i stressed blocks of 256 districts in India. In this regard, teams of officers from Central -with technical officers f rom Ministry of Jal Shakti were deputed to visit water stressed districts in close collaboration with district level officials to undertake suitable interventions.

Central  Ground  Water  Authority  (CGWA)  has  been  constituted  under  Section  3(3) 'Environment  (Protection)  Act,  1986'  for the purpose  of regulation  and  control  of  ground  water development and management in the Country. CGWA is regulating ground water w ithdrawal by industries / infrastructure/ mining projects in the country for which guidelines/ criteria have been f modified from time to time. The current guidelines, effective from 15.11.2015 are available http://cgwa - noc.gov.in .

Further, CGWA had notified fresh guidelines for development and management of groun resources in the country vide Gazette Notification SO 6140(E) dated 12.12.2018. However, f guidelines are b eing finalized.

(c) & (d) Water Resources Project are planned, funded, executed and maintained by Governments  themselves  as  per  their  own  resources  and  priority.  The  requisite  survey -management of the projects also comes under the purv iew of concerned State Governments.

In  order  to  supplement  the  efforts  of  the  State  Governments,  Government  of  Indi technical and financial assistance to encourage sustainable development and efficient manage resources  through  vari ous  schemes  and  programmes  such  as  Accelerated  Irrigation  Benefits  Prog (AIBP)  etc.  under  Pradhan  Mantri  Krishi Sinchayee  Yojana  (PMKSY)  as  per  the  guidelines  of  su schemes.

Department  of  Agriculture,  Cooperation  &  Farmers'  Welfare  is  implementing Per  Drop  More Crop (PDMC) component of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) which is operational since 2015- 16 in the Country. The PMKSY - PDMC mainly focuses on water use efficiency at farm level th precision/micro irrigation and further sup ports micro level water storage or water conservation/manag activities.

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