Lok Sabha Question No. 2419 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-12-03
Subject: Mitigating Crises of Drought and Safe  Drinking  Water
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Sanjay(Kaka) Ramchandra Patil

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, COOPERATION AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2419

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 3 RD  DECEMBER, 2019

## MITIGATING CRISES OF DROUGHT AND SAFE DRINKING WATER

2419.  SHRI SANJAY KAKA PATIL:

Will  the  Minister  of  AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी be pleased to state:

- (a) the steps taken by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare along with the State Government  of  Maharashtra  to  mitigate  the  crises  of  drought  and  safe  drinking  water  in  the State during the year 2019-20;
- (b) whether the Union Government is seeking any financial assistance from any international developmental agencies to provide safe drinking water to the people;
- (c) if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether there is any special package provided by the Union Government to the State of Maharashtra in this regard; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी (SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

- (a): In the eventuality of natural calamities, the State Governments are empowered to initiate necessary  relief  measures  from  State  Disaster  Response  Fund  (SDRF),  which  is  readily available with them. Additional financial assistance, over and above SDRF, is considered from National  Disaster  Response  Fund  (NDRF),  on  the  receipt  of  Memorandum  from  State Governments and in accordance with extant norms and procedures. SDRF/NDRF norms, interalia,  provide  assistance  for  emergency supply of drinking  water in rural and urban  areas and also repairs  /restoration  of  drinking  water  supply  damaged  infrastructure.  During  2019-20 (so far),  the  State  Government  of  Maharashtra  has  not  submitted  any  Memorandum  seeking financial assistance in the wake of drought.

ICAR- Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture (CRIDA), along with other ICAR Institutes,  State  Agriculture  Universities  and  Kisan  Vigyan  Kendras  (KVKs),  has  prepared District Agriculture Contingency Plans (DACPs) for 650 districts, recommending location specific climate  resilient  crops  and  varieties  and  management  practices  for  use  by  the  Agriculture Departments of the States and farmers.

Under National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA), attempts have been made to develop drought tolerant rice, wheat and pulses. Findings of NICRA have led to release of a few drought-tolerant crop varieties.

Government  of  India  has  launched  Jal  Shakti  Abhiyan  (JSA),  a  water  conservation campaign,  which  is  being  implemented  in  two  phases  in  256  water-stressed  districts  of  the country. The Phase-I was implemented from 1st July, 2019 to 30th September, 2019 across the country and Phase-II is being implemented from 1st October, 2019 to 30th November, 2019 in the  Southern  States,  which  receive  retreating  monsoon.  During  the  campaign,  officers, groundwater experts and scientists from the Government of India have worked with State and District officials in these districts to promote water conservation and water resource management by focusing on accelerated implementation of five target interventions, viz. water conservation  &  rainwater  harvesting,  renovation  of  traditional  and  other  water  bodies/  tanks, reuse and recharge of bore wells, watershed development and intensive afforestation. With this campaign, huge awareness has been generated and various stakeholders have started taking steps for water conservation.

Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ministry  of Jal Shakti, releases funds to States/ UTs under Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) approved criteria. During 2019-20, an amount of Rs.690.55  Crore  was  allocated  to  the  State  of  Maharashtra  and  out  of  this,  an  amount  of Rs.345.28 Crore has been released as first instalment.

State  Government  of  Maharashtra  has  reported  that  during  scarcity  period  of  October 2018 to September 2019, the following prominent measures were taken to tackle the drinking water scarcity:

- (i) 6200 new borewells and 532 temporary water supply schemes were completed;
- (ii) 2418 Pipe Water Supply Schemes and 2845 borewells repair work were completed;
- (iii) Well Deepening and Desilting work of 1294 wells was carried; and

(iv) 7014  tankers  were  deployed  and  10687  borewell/dugwells  were  requisitioned  for providing safe drinking water in the State.

The State has also informed that during 2019-20, about Rs.725.95 Crore was spent on drinking water scarcity mitigation measures.

(b) & (c): Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, with the financial Assistance (in the form  of  Loan)  from  World  Bank,  is  implementing  Rural  Water  Supply  and  Sanitation Programme  (RWSSP) in  four  Low  Income  States  viz;  Assam,  Bihar,  Jharkhand  and  Uttar Pradesh (RWSSP-LIS) for providing safe drinking water to  rural areas in selected districts of these four States .

(d) & (e): Special  package  for  completion  of  8  Major/Medium  Irrigation  (MMI)  and  83 Surface Minor Irrigation (SMI) projects benefiting drought prone areas of Maharashtra, having estimated  balance  cost  of  Rs.  13651.61  Crore  as  on  01.04.2018,  has  been  approved  during 2018-19.  These  projects  are  planned  to  be  completed  in  phases  by  2022-23.  The  targeted additional potential through these projects is 3.77 Lakh Hectare. During 2018-19 and 2019-20 (so  far),  Rs.  500  Crore  and  Rs.  295  Crore  have  been  released  respectively  as  Central Assistance under Special Package.

*******